#they are sad. i am sad. we are all very sad.

[habken]

/busts down your door WHAT ALL HAVE I MISSED IN BNHA?????? I just saw your comic and I’m so confused

okay so bakugou got got right we all know that, shigaraki fucked up his arm, bakugou said “oh I know what I gotta do” and did a good attack on shiggy but his heart exploded </3 and he died but edgshot said “nuh uh” and used his body to stitch it back up and then deku was late to the party and didnt even have time to be bummed out about bakugou’s corpse cause he has to fight shigaraki and then somewhere else afo does stuff blah blah blah and snatches hawks quirk (rip) and then takes off to join shigafo in that fight but all might says “not on my watch” and intercepts him and they duke it out and all this time afo is getting younger cause he used something made from eris quirk so he could keep duking it out with endeavour and that gang so he’s like a teen fighting poor old man all might who used all his savings to by himself a mech suit but it’s not going so hot for him and stain shows up to take on afo with all might but afo still wins and is about to finish off all might when bakugou starts up his own heart with his explosive sweat and makes really fruity eye contact with deku and with the power of friendship deku pauses his fight with shigafo to launch bakugou towards afo and bakugou saved all might and goes “dawg who’s this kid I’m about to beat the shit out of” and all might says “that’s afo” and bakugou goes to beat the shit out of toddler afo and succeeds because afo finally benjamin buttons out of existence but the whole balugou’s arm looks like seconds away from falling off, then after a long day of fighting bakugou takes a well deserved nap and we go back to deku v shigafo and it’s not going well for deku he’s trying to break through to tenko but he’s not getting anywear and then shigaraki steals danger sense and it gets even worse but second user goes “wait ! What if we attack him with psychic damage, give shigaraki ofa and we’ll beat the shit out of his mind so you can do your thing” amd deku is very sad but agrees and then after he goes punches all of the ofa vestiges into shigaraki they end up in his mind palace and little deku holds little tenko hand even though it’s disintegrating his own and this is where we think “wow he truly won with the power of friendship” but no !! He did not ! The afo vestige that loves in shigaraki’s mind comes out and evil laughs and says “you idiot I’ve been behind all the awful missrable things that happened your whole life ! I convinced your dad to have you, I took your og quirk away and gave you half of an ability that should have let you destroy and recreate but only gave you the destructive part because I am evil and you are too because I made you that way” and shigaraki goes :0 ?!1?;& and dissolves because afo cast vicious mockery and got a nat20 dealing double damage. We then exit shigaraki’s mind and deku has no arms !! But behind him avengers endgame style, heroes amass and aizawa steps out of the portal and goes “damn sorry midoriya if only I’d come like a minute earlier now you’re armless </3” but ! He tosses deku eri’s horn because eri havked it off herself to give to deku to save him and deku’s arms start growing back :D at the same time, afo has fully taken over shigaraki’s body and i like “haha tomura is no more it’s just me now” but he’s super bummed out because his vestige brother is gone as well and he’s like “damn what even is the reason for doing anything anymore :// I guess I’ll still kick ur ass or whatever but I’m kinda apathetic about taking over the world now” but while deku gave away ofa he still has some of the embers and with the power of froendship once more, he dodges afo’s attacks and punches him super duper hard, and we see shigaraki again :D and yoichi :00 and yoichi says sone shit to afo and shigaraki turns to deku like “this was truly our hero academia :) tell spinner I love him” and deku says “sure dawg” and they fist bump and stuff

tldr: deku gave up ofa to save shigaraki and bakugou’s arm is super super messed up which is very fun

#ask #bnha #bnha manga spoilers #mha manga spoilers #long post

[mieczyhale]

WATCHED THE TRAILER FOR S4 OF UMBRELLA ACADEMY AND UHHH WELL LETS SEE

Hargreeves Home for Wayward BOYS?

Viktor the bartender???

Ben what did you DO

Diego looks like he's cosplaying as Gomez Addams

KLAUS

They all look so fucking tired and Done sldflksd love that they're basically all comfy looking and then you have Five

listen. Listen. i LIKE klaus's hair in the trailer. i've wanted short haired klaus back since we lost him after the war. is it as good as his s1 hair?? no. but it's not as bad as the s2 short wig or the cult leader hair so god fucking bless

"we're back we're back we're back everyone get out of the way we're back" "FIRST MISSION BACK" THIS MADE ME SO HYPE

i'm sorry was that viktor beating someone up??!

the use of the final countdown was a little silly but then again this is the A Little Silly show so it works

LOVED the use of Hargreeves dialogue from the flashback in s1e1. bringing it full circle, baby!!!

DANCE SCENE. CANNOT have a season without one

did they just get weapons from a fast food place???

five finally gets a hug, which i love, but it being lila and he's clearly comforting her?? okay. not what i wanted for him but whatever

SANTA???!!!

the umbrella tattoo is back!!

klaus not having his palm tattoos makes me sad. bitch we are supposed to MATCH

AND YOU GET AN EXTRA HOUR IN THE BALL PIT

very quick glimpse of something that looks like it came from a marvel movie. not idea what's happening there but it's gonna be cool. i think. maybe.

BENTACLES

AUGUST 8TH?? OH I AM SO NOT EMOTIONALLY PREPARED AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE

still tentatively excited for the final season but definitely a little more excited and a little less tentative. i don't want to get my hopes too high tho. i think one reason i loved s3 so much is because i went in with such low expectations after being so disappointed by s2 and i don't want the end of this show to be another s2. it HAS to go well or i'm not going to be well

#you don't understand what this show means to me #s1 was life changing #it is EVERYTHING to me still #i really need this to end on that kind of high #or something close to it at least #at least 2.0 the vibes better be right and the soundtrack better land. if NOTHING FUCKING ELSE #am i being dramatic?? yes but also no fuck you #the umbrella academy #the umbrella academy spoilers #i guess #mytuaposts #maison speaks

[brynnmclean]

saw a post questioning shipping Senua and Thórgestr and started to reblog it with a tag novel-- felt weird about doing that since this is lengthy and potentially derailing, so making my own post instead. Spitballing under the cut:

First off, any time someone is like, "the real reason people ship this is because they find the dude attractive," this is SO funny to me as someone who doesn't find men attractive IRL and has fiercely loved Senua since I played the first game, like-- actually I find the dynamic between those two characters to be compelling and interesting precisely because of all the baggage between them re: their backgrounds, the rough (put mildly!) beginning of their relationship, all the things they don't talk about, and them finding a common enemy/common ground to work with. The explicit parallels between them stated in-game scratched an itch in my brain. The minute they pointed out the dark rot on his arm, it was like, "oh! hello there! NOW I'm interested in whatever your whole deal is" for me. Also, idk man, I too would follow Senua around after she knocked me into the dirt and then showed me a way to fight the giants that I very much wanted to fight instead of appease.

The idea that Thórgestr was part of the Orkney Raid that killed and mutilated Dillion is VERY interesting food for thought, even if I don't personally have that headcanon (surely there are more viking raiding groups than just the Bjorg). I think the Furies or the Shadow said something similar about Fargrimr (his kin murdered yours, you shouldn't save him, etc.) so I completely get that line of thought, but I think the game left it ambiguous enough that it's up for interpretation. Would I read fic with that premise? Yeah, I'd check that out. Could Senua forgive Thorgestr if his people were involved? Sounds fun to explore.

If (ha, when?) I write fic, I'd have to think more about it especially wrt timelines, like when did the Bjorg start specifically raiding for slaves for giant food sacrifices vs. killing people for resources and wealth? How far off are we from the old gods "dying" and the volcano erupting? Was it indeed a different group of raiders who made a deal with Zynbel, attacked Senua's home, and made the sacrifice at that time to Hela?

At the very least, I think there's a time jump between the end of Hellblade I and the beginning of Hellblade II since Senua wasn't alone on that slave ship and at least one of the (brief) survivors knew her by name. I wouldn't mind exploring that gap of time, too.

In any case I do agree that it would take a VERY long time for Senua to consciously catch feelings for anyone let alone Thorgestr with all their collective baggage. The idea of them having a relationship beyond friendship in the far off future of an AU where he survives is the only one that can make sense in my brain, personally. It would take time! Time they didn't get in the game! But I think there are a lot of different roads that could take, and some of them might be healthier than others. Shipping them certainly isn't forgetting or excusing what happened to Dillion-- or even mutually exclusive from still shipping Senua and Dillion. Or, frankly, also shipping Senua and Astridr, because I can see that ship too.

One of the nice things about all the details Ninja Theory didn't expand upon and that they left that ending so open is that the sky's the limit. I'm VERY interested in seeing fandom tackle this game as we get farther from the initial release.

#kate plays hellblade #senua x thorgestr #a friend did laugh at me recently and say there's always a weird guy i latch onto and i laughed back and said i'm a boy in my brain #i think i've felt that way forever and it's still true. i DO gravitate toward male characters #especially ones who are a bit starry-eyed over their female counterparts #anyway that's not what this post is about #it's more of me throwing thoughts out into the ether because i don't have the energy or time to write fic yet #but i am Thinking About It #what happens after the story left off? what if we changed ONE THING and gave them more time #i stopped using accent marks midway through this sorry i'm typing on a computer. my phone would catch them but alas. #i can't remember my video games tag #senua #thorgestr #hellblade #senua's saga #i'm really just excited to talk fannish things about this one #the first game was so neat and tied up that i felt no fannish inclinations beyond loving the game #but there's SO MUCH ROOM HERE with this second one #delightful #i'll read all the AUs even the sad ones #when it comes to thorgestr and senua i think thorgestr fell first and pretty hard but he doesn't talk about it until senua starts opening u #i really think those two are made for a glacially slow burn #maybe not if she becomes the tyrant seer. loved and feared. #could be quick and very unhealthy. ALSO compelling to me! #senua's saga spoilers #to be safe #these tags are about as long as the post. i'd better quit while i'm ahead. #hertan writing tag

[queerbuckleys]

i made a short post here referring to my own experiences and wanted to expand on it, you can reblog both of these posts btw. I am only writing this all down because the way some of you have spoken about chris and his decision very much bothers me. trust when i tell you i do not want to completely lay out my trauma on the internet for all of you to read, but if it makes one of you understand why this works, why it is important, then it will have been worth it to me.

When I was 12 my father was diagnosed with frontal temporal dementia. the adults in my family and his doctors decided that it was best for him to be moved to a a full time care facility. The next year, and after hearing, seeing, and understanding my father's condition and where it would go, I, at thirteen years old, made the decision to say goodbye to him, that I did not want to hear about what levels of deterioration he had reached. I wanted to remember him as he was when he remembered me, and all the adventures and fun things we did together.

I made that decision. I made it because it was easier than watching him deteriorate, forget who his sister, his brother, my brother, my mother, and me. And I knew that at twelve and thirteen. It was never a decision I ever thought I would have to make, it wasn't a decision I should've had to make.

Now, the important part, over the next few years my decision was questioned and ignored by the adults in my life and even my brother, some of the questioning I can understand now that I am older, but it should have never reached the level it did. My aunt and uncle would openly discuss his condition over dinner when he came to visit, and I would run away to the restaurant bathroom and cry my eyes out until my mom came to get me. I was forced into visiting him in his care home, which ended with it causing far more harm than good. Only then was my decision somewhat respected, it took me being retraumatized for it to be taken seriously.

Despite all of that, I do not regret that decision.

I can't know how I would be different if none of that happened. But at this point in my live, eleven years and some therapy later, I am fairly certain I would be less traumatized, carry less resentment and anger, if maybe my mom had spoken up at those dinners and made arrangements to get updates without me next to her trying to enjoy my pizza. Had I not had to see my own father forget my name and then have some sort of mini medical emergency. Had my brother heard me in a way only a sibling could.

So, yes, Christopher at thirteen made a indefinite and truly most likely temporary decision to remove himself from an environment where he doesn't fully trust his sole and primary caregiver. He knows his dad loves him, Eddie made that so clear. And it could really be 5 minutes, 5 days, 5 weeks, and so on and so forth until Christopher is ready to come home. And him knowing that Eddie respected his decision and loves him no matter what is what is going to make that time shorter. If he had walked out with his father begging him to stay, to forgive him before he was ready, the chances of him coming back would in my opinion would be far slimmer than the circumstances under which he did leave.

with that i leave you this, "yeah people go away. and it's sad. and it hurts. but you know, not everyone goes away forever. sometimes they come back. and as much as we miss them, that's how happy we are to see them again."

#like i feel like i had to take my lived experience and put it out there cause i think it is rare that it is relevant like this #and many of you are posting from a place of idk what but its not that #sorry if this feels tmi or something idk #also this way of dealing with things is encoded in his dna from both sides #and this is truly the safest way he can do that #and some of you are acting like phones do not exists ffs #911 abc #911 spoilers #i might regret this or whatever #ok to rb #i said this to amelia in a text but tbh this kind of respect toward chris from eddie is just as important to me as bi buck #and i guess if i am the only one that feels that way or you can understand why after this...then well i cannot help you #anyway back to my hiatus ig

[mechaknight-98]

Kan’t relax (NSFW) FT Sakura Miyawaki

Author's note: I forgot how close I was to done with this fic…so here it is. Milf Mommy Sakura inbound You have been warned.

Heroes are captivating in fiction because they always arrive just in time and defeat the villain with unmatched skill and power. In reality, however, heroes are often ordinary people who rise to the occasion.

While out getting breakfast for Saki, Daigo was confronted by an old acquaintance named Reborn.

“I am so sorry, Daigo, but I need your help,” Reborn said. Before Daigo could respond, Reborn shot him in the face.

Ten years later, Daigo's eyes snapped open as the smoke dissipated around him. Reborn stood over him and reached out a hand to help him up.

“Where am I?” Daigo asked.

“The same cafe, just 10 years later.” Daigo’s heart sank.

“Where's Sakura?” he asked.

Reborn sighed. “She's leading the Miyawaki clan, but I don't think you're ready to see her.”

Daigo's reply was both defiant and despondent. “I don't care. That's my girl. Take me to her.”

Reborn sighed, knowing Daigo wouldn't relent. So they embarked on a journey to Japan, where Sakura was. They arrived at her "day job" as the head of an idol agency, where she and the girls were still making music and moving forward. As they entered the building, Sakura was headed out. She looked as radiant as ever, but a deep sadness and a dour expression were etched on her face.

“Kura, is that you?” Daigo said weakly. Sakura, having long abandoned that name, turned to Daigo, and their eyes met. A wordless exchange happened between them as they ran to each other. Daigo held her tight, and Sakura readily accepted his embrace.

“Please tell me this isn't a dream,” Sakura asked. Daigo shook his head. “No dream. I'm here for you,” he said. Sakura smiled, and the mask of Saki fell away.

“Why do you look so young though? You look like you're 26,” she asked, confused.

“Can we explain over tea?” Daigo asked. Sakura's eyes narrowed as she looked past Daigo and saw Reborn standing behind him. She flew into a rage.

“You!” Sakura growled at the hitman. “I should have known you had something to do with Daigo’s disappearance.” Her anger flared like a blaze, but Daigo, being the more level-headed, intervened.

“Wait, Kura. He brought me here,” he said. Despite the time and distance from Daigo, she still always deferred to him. She got serious.

“Okay, but when you're done with whatever you have to do today, come find me. I need my stud.”

“How would I find you? Everything is different now.”

“Daigo, you are the most resourceful person I know. You can do it. Otherwise, I'll find you and be forced to punish you,” Sakura said. Daigo wanted to submit to her then and there and let her run wild, but he had responsibilities.

“God, I love it when you punish me,” he said.

Sakura smiled. “I always knew you had a bit of a submissive streak. Don't worry, Mommy will take good care of you. All those competing thoughts, Mommy is going to erase them, so all you can think about is Mommy,” Sakura said. Daigo smiled at her before nodding and going to train with Reborn.

While training Daigo asks, “So who killed me in this timeline originally?”

“It was Tobirama Ozunu,” reborn says as he shows Daigo a picture he recognized as Tobi

“Of course,” Daigo replied to his trainer annoyed as he got back to work. The combat training continued til right before sunset. Daigo said goodbye to Reborn before setting out to find Kura. It took an hour but he made it to her penthouse right after sunset.

When he reached her door his cock was already unbearably hard, and several different emotions flowed through him. The weirdest one is this intense longing despite literally having just been in bed with her this morning. He opens the door to see Sakura very nude on her couch. She grins wolfishly at him and without command he strips for her. Her grin widens. Kura marvels at how hard his cock is for her despite her not touching it. She approaches Daigo and caresses his face. She smiles before saying,

“Do you want mommy to ruin you?” Daigo nods. Kura smiles. She starts by guiding him to the bedroom. Her arousal scent is already melting Daigo’s brain. Having aged like a fine wine in all facets Kura’s control over all facets of her body has been refined and nurtured. Her breasts are bigger her body is more plump, and her scent is now deadly.

Sakura pushes Daigo to the bed and she slowly approaches watching him wordlessly writhe and squirm for her. Sakura loved how needy Daigo was for her, but she needed him feral she needed him rough and raw. She inched to his face and kissed him instead of being fast and aggressive like how she would be when they were younger. Kira’s tongue was slow and deliberate. She knew her Stud’s body instinctively and knew how to send him over the edge. Her first trick was forcing him to swallow her saliva to the point he almost drowned in her kiss. When he came up for air she began to kiss around his body. Paying special attention to his ears, especially one of his known weaknesses. After she’s finished she notices a change in Daigo. His eyes have narrowed and her scent has done its job. Daigo gets up and grabs Kura who moans as he roughly throws her on the bed and without warning Daigo plugs her with his cock. Kura moans as she hasn’t been fucked in ten years.

“Ugh, I’ve needed this cock for ten years,” Sakura whined as a wave of familiar feelings overwhelmed her. Mainly her submission to her stud. It caused her to release more of her arousal and her pussy became a sodden mess as Daigo thrust in and out of her. Now no longer bound by her contracts or obligations since she owned all of Le Sserafim she could fully indulge in her needs.

“Fucking breed that milf pussy. I’ve waited so long,” Sakura said with an almost frightening level of conviction that sent Daigo over the edge and he bred her pussy. Sakura moaned as she reached her peak as well, but her mind broke and her body took control. Her instincts forced her to start fucking herself into Daigo’s cock so it couldn’t soften. Daigo’s mind was also broken as Kura’s fertile pussy invited him to fuck her again. He was overwhelmed by her scent and swept away by the need to breed his bitch. He grabbed Kura’s waist and slammed into her. Kura moaned loudly as Daigo began to thrust again. Animalistic groans came from them as their instincts overwhelmed their brains. Daigo never felt this way before but he needed Kura. He needed to have her more than he needed to breathe, and Sakura needed to be Daigo’s. So they gave in. Sakura’s pussy became little more than a sopping fleshlight for Daigo as his cock slipped into and out of her insatiable fuck hole. Sakura moaned like the bitch in heat she was. Their minds became fogged over by their thoughts that they couldn’t feel their orgasms coming and it hit them both like runaway trains. As Daigo filled Kura up again she leaned back into his body inviting her stud to claim her her again. Daigo grabbed her left tit and cupped her ass as he continued thrusting into her churning his cum inside her before biting her collarbone. Kura’s pussy clenched Daigo. Wordless encouragement to continue on.

“Fuck Mommy your pussy is so tight,” Daigo groaned as he continued thrusting into her Sakura moaned, and said

“Oh, I’m mommy? well then breed me and make me one.”

“Huh that breeding kink never went away did it?” Daigo inquired

“No, it didn’t now slap my ass say how good mommy’s pussy is, and creampie me.” She shot back. Daigo smiled at how much he loved this woman no matter what form she took or how old she was. He slapped her ass and marveled at how it rippled for him then grabbed both of her tits.

“Mommy’s pussy is so filthy. All mommy wants to do is be my breeding bitch doesn’t she. This is all mommy is good for huh? Dumping my children into her womb. Is that what mommy wants?” Daigo says and Sakura is overwhelmed by her lust cums again squirting all over Daigo’s cock, and trying to milk it. She succeeded and Daigo fills her again with cum, but their still horny for each other so they keep fucking until Sakura’s stomach growls.

Daigo laughs and looks at the clock. “Fuck it’s midnight already?” He says dazed by the fact they have been going at it for four hours.

Sakura smiles and says give me a minute let me order some food for us. While she’s on the call Daigo keeps fucking her. When she’s finished she glares at Daigo as he still thrust into her and then cums inside her. This causes the inner breeding cum slut that Sakura has been keeping at bay to fully cum out.

“Oh god yes. Fill me up again. I need your cum. Fuck keep me full.” Sakura said. Her words make Daigo even harder, 25 minutes later Sakura cums again, but before Daigo can reach his peak Sakura’s door rings and he has to pull out.

“I didn’t know you were holding out on me stud she said opening the door naked much to the surprise of the delivery woman who she winked at before going back to Daigo and starting their late-night meal. Daigo smiled and said

“Well it seems like you needed it, and I’d do anything for my breeding bitch.”

#kpop fanfic #fanfic #miyawaki sakura #lesserafim smut #izone sakura #sakura smut #miyawaki sakura smut

[spaceaudyssey]

Thoughts on dot and bubble

In the beginning I felt a little sorry for Pepperbean, because I think we've all been there. Ever tried to navigate to a new place without Google maps? Ever had to call and schedule something over the phone? Yeah, that's how it felt. Putting your bubble down and getting outside of it. It's scary

She's also like an iPad Adult. She was pretty rude when Ruby and the doctor told her to turn the bubble off.

Are we sure that this was just something written by Russel T Davies and it's not another Harry Styles fanfic written by a Teenage girl, turned into something new just by changing the names?

But then, it immediately turned anti-fanfic.

I am sad to report that I didn't fully realize the significance of that ending at first. I thought it was just a classist thing, so I asked my husband and he said it was also a racist thing and then I was like Ooooh...yeaaah... And all the people at Fine Time were wh-...ahhh...🫤. I felt stupid there. That hit pretty deep though.

Overall, a very good episode.

#doctor who #dot and bubble #spoilers #dr who #ipad kid #ricky September

[phoebepheebsphibs]

A lil sumthin' sumthin' to say...

Thanks for enjoying the story and drawings!

Your reactions, artwork, and many words of encouragement have been amazing. There are so many people who have enjoyed the story and were such an amazing motivation. There are a few specific people that I wanna acknowledge, though...

(Disclaimer, most of the sona designs were based off of piccrew posts I went digging for or were based on user icons lol)

Of course we have to start with @boots-with-the-fur-club!

Thanks for letting me continue the story you started! I didn't expect it to grow as much as it did, but the more I wrote, the more the world around it grew and evolved and it became this huge multi-chapter, multi-arced saga. I always get so excited when I see you post a new story and I wait in anticipation for every reaction you leave on my updates. Thanks so much for the advice you give, little blurbs you wrote, and moments when you fangirled over stuff with me! I have never been so inspired to write/draw/create in my life, and for that I am truly grateful.

@daboyau your interactions and reactions were very special and meaningful. I haven't known you very long but I can already tell how talented a writer you are and I may be just a bit intimidated by you. You motivate me to be a better writer, to work hard, and to not be shy about my stories! You're a very inspiring writer and every time I see your reactions to my work I freak out a little lol...

@truths33k3r4 I love the design you made for Mikey (I even took some inspiration from your design for my own), and the kind comments you leave always brighten my day! Your artwork continuously brings me joy, and I can't thank you enough for the adoration and adorable "phanart" you've created! You are truly inspiring and wonderful.

@that-0n3-shr00mi3-guy hands down you leave the funniest comments and have the most hilarious reactions to my stuff dude. I love how excited you get, it lets me know that you're invested and that my story is interesting. Thanks for making me laugh without fail!

@burritello3000 thank you for the comments, reactions, theories, interactions, and general love you consistently give to my stories! It makes me so happy that my blurbs and fics can provide so much entertainment that it in turn gives me entertainment to read your reactions!

@belleyellsaboutturtles your reviews and comments, the reactions you give, and the kind words you leave have inspired and delighted me to no end! It makes me so glad that you have noticed certain things that I write, hidden easter eggs and special clues, and I love how your heart melts from the brotherly moments or the sad lab memories. It's people like you that I write for!

Thanks again to all for how you have inspired me. I just genuinely appreciate your love for the story and hope to continue making stories that draw y'all in wholeheartedly!

#i was gonna post this later (like after the story finished) but I COULDN'T WAIT #genuinely guys you're the best #thank you so so so much #it means the world to me that i get to finally write the stories i want #and even more so that people actually want to read my stories #thanks so much #i hope this wasn't cringe #rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt fanart #double mutated mikey #double mutation mikey #rottmnt mikey #rottmnt michelangelo #rise mikey #rise michelangelo #rottmnt fanfiction #rottmnt au

[ltash]

Carrying his child.

Finding out you're pregnant with Simon's child.

"I saw that you were perfect, and so I loved you. Then I saw that you were not perfect and I loved you even more." – Angelita Lim

After finishing breakfast, I followed Ghost to his room. He was packing.

"So you're leaving me finally!" I said.

"It isn't like that. I am getting deployed. Will catch up with ya later." He said while folding his clothes and putting them neatly in his suitcase.

I started helping him.

"Soap will teach you how to shoot a sniper while he is here," he said.

"But he cannot fulfill the void, your void, Simon!" I said, my voice tinged with a mix of frustration and sadness.

He paused, looking up at me, his eyes softening for a moment before he resumed packing. "I know, love. But duty calls. You understand that, don't you?"

I nodded, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. "I do. But it doesn't make it any easier."

He straightened up, closing the suitcase and pulling me into his arms. "I'll be back before you know it," he murmured against my hair. "And until then, remember that you're never truly alone. I'm always with you, in some way."

I buried my face in his chest, inhaling his familiar scent, trying to commit it to memory. "Just come back to me," I whispered.

He kissed the top of my head, holding me tightly. "I promise," he said, his voice firm yet gentle. "I'll always come back to you."

Tears started to well up in my eyes. I broke out in sobs. "You know these walls, this huge space I call home, they gnaw at me when I am alone. One day Johnny will have to leave. What would I do without you, my love?" I sobbed.

He cupped my face and wiped my tears with his thumb. "You are my girl and I need my girl to be brave. Do you understand?" he said, his voice steady but full of emotion.

I nodded, trying to pull myself together, feeling the warmth of his touch anchoring me. "I'll try, Simon. For you."

"That's all I ask," he whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead. "Just hold on. I'll be back before you know it."

He took his sniper case and opened it on the bed, removing the sniper and presenting it to me. "Here, Nora. Take care of it. It's yours now."

I took it from his hands, my fingers trembling as I felt the weight of it. "I have fought wars with it, and it's very close to my heart. That's why I'm giving it to you. Use it on your enemies, just in case. Johnny will teach you," he said, his voice steady yet filled with emotion.

I looked at him, tears blurring my vision. His presence, his strength, everything about him was etched into this weapon. My trembling hands gripped the rifle, feeling its cold metal against my skin.

He rolled his balaclava up to his forehead, revealing his face. His lips touched mine in a gentle kiss, filled with love and longing. I didn't want him to pull away, wishing time would stay still, keeping us in this moment forever. But reality was relentless, and he eventually drew back, leaving me with the rifle and the memory of his touch.

"Come, take my hand. The helicopter's waitin'," he said, taking my hand into his.

We climbed the stairs to my roof where Captain Price, Soap, and Gaz were already standing.

"We're leaving now, kid. We had a very good time here," Captain Price said.

"Captain Price! After my father's death, you've been like a father to me. I'm grateful you came here and spent time with me." I hugged him tightly.

Gaz came over and hugged me too. "Thanks, Nora, for all of that," he said.

"Mention not, Gaz," I replied.

Simon still held my hand, a comforting presence by my side.

"See ya again, LT!" Soap said, punching Simon's chest playfully.

Simon stood with me as they all boarded the helicopter. The blades started to move, creating a deafening roar.

"See you again, sweetheart," Simon said, turning to go, but I grabbed his hand and hugged him fiercely.

"I love you, Simon," I whispered.

"I love you too, Nora," he whispered back.

Captain Price couldn't hear our conversation, but I could see the suspicion in his eyes, his doubts about us beginning to take form.

I touched my lips with my fingers and then pressed my fingers against his masked lips, not caring about what Captain Price might think. Simon pointed his fingers towards his eyes and then to mine, gesturing that he would be coming back for me.

With that, he stepped inside the helicopter. Johnny and I stood there, watching as the helicopter ascended and flew away. I stood there long after it had disappeared into the sky, feeling the emptiness settle in.

Tears were flowing from my eyes, and Johnny noticed.

"It's awright, Nora. He'll be back when he's free. Until then, I'm here. Ye won't be bored, I promise." He chuckled.

"Thanks, Johnny," I said, climbing down the stairs with him following after me.

"Make yourself at home, Johnny," I said as I entered Simon's room and closed the door. His room felt empty without him.

I sat on the bed holding the sniper he gave me, touching it and thinking about how he had used it. It was a piece of him which he gave me. I noticed his grey hoodie lying on the bed. He left it there.

I held it close, taking in his scent, the musky cologne. It smelled of him. I laid on the bed holding it close, my face toward the balcony door where rays of sunlight entered the room. The bed, the sheets, everything smelled of him, and I wanted to envelop myself in his vibes.

I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep again with him on my mind.

It was almost lunchtime when I woke up.

I stood and opened the door. The faint voice of laughing grew nearer as I descended the stairs. There I saw Soap standing in the living room, talking to the chef and laughing at his own silly jokes.

"What's going on here?" I asked.

"Ach, nothin'. I was just tellin' her some jokes that I tell LT," Soap replied.

"Aye, Nora! Ye play games? Uno, Ludo, Monopoly?" he asked.

"Only Ludo, but nobody is here to play with me."

"Ye go tae the gym?" he asked.

"Yes, I have my own gym here. I haven't worked out in a while as Simon was here."

"Sure LT would have used it. He loves tae work out," he said.

"No, he didn't either," I replied.

"I'll show you the gym after lunch but let's eat something first," I said and went inside the kitchen to help the chef.

"Hey Johnny! Tell me anything about Ghost," I asked.

"Aye, lass! Ghost? Ah, he's a fine listener, ye ken? No one for idle chatter, but when he does speak, it's worth listenin' to. And when it comes to crackin' jokes, he's a right laugh, especially among us," Johnny replied in his Scottish brogue.

"Well! Simon said you'll show me how to shoot a sniper," I said.

"Aye! I'll teach ye," Johnny confirmed.

As the day progressed, I found myself immersed in conversation with Johnny. He was quite the charmer, with an infectious smile that lit up the room. He had a great sense of humor and was incredibly friendly.

"Aye lass! Let's play a game. Whit were ye sayin' before, which game ye play?" Johnny asked.

"Ludo," I said.

"Let's play Ludo then," he said.

"Sorry Johnny! I have to attend an online meeting. You can watch TV if you are getting bored." I said.

"Aye, lass, which meeting are ye off to?" Johnny inquired.

"It's my father's company, a pharma business. I'm running it now. I'll be joining the office from tomorrow, so you'll be on your own," I explained.

"I'll come wi' ye. Would love to see yer company," he offered.

"You sure? You won't get bored?" I asked.

"Nah, it's fine. I'm here tae keep ye safe," he replied confidently.

A month later,

I was sitting in the meeting room of my company. It was almost time to leave. Johnny did not accompany me today.

As I stood up, my head spinning, I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me. The room seemed to blur, and I struggled to maintain my balance. I reached out to steady myself, grasping the edge of the table as I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart.

"Are you okay, Nora?" my colleague asked, concern evident in their voice.

I nodded weakly, forcing a smile. "I'm fine, just feeling a bit lightheaded. I think I need some fresh air."

With shaky steps, I made my way out of the meeting room and into the corridor. Leaning against the wall, I closed my eyes, trying to steady my breathing. The world spun around me, and I felt a sense of unease settle in the pit of my stomach.

I sat in my car, the wave of dizziness and nausea was overwhelming.

As I arrived at my mansion, exhaustion weighed heavily upon me. Johnny was there, waiting for me. But as I entered, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over me, and before I could react, darkness enveloped my vision, and I fell unconscious.

When I woke, Johnny was kneeling beside me, concern etched on his face. He had caught me before I hit the ground, his strong arms supporting me.

"Are you alright, lass?" he asked, his voice filled with worry.

I groaned softly, my head throbbing with pain. "I... I don't know. I felt dizzy and then... everything went black."

Johnny helped me sit up, his steady presence a reassuring anchor in the midst of my confusion. "We need to get you checked out, Nora. This ain't normal."

I nodded weakly, grateful for his concern. With Johnny's support, I managed to stand, albeit unsteadily. Together, we made our way to the nearest couch, where I sank down, feeling utterly drained.

As Johnny fetched a glass of water, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered within me. Something was wrong, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. All I knew was that I needed answers, and fast.

"I think I should call my doctor," I muttered, dialing his number.

Dr. William arrived within half an hour. "How are you, young woman? Aren't you taking care of yourself?" he asked.

"I don't know what's happening. I think it might be iron deficiency," I replied.

"Where's your friend, Nora?" he asked.

"You mean Simon?" I asked back.

"Yes," he replied.

"He's in the army, so he had to go back," I explained.

"And who is this gentleman?" Dr. William pointed towards Soap.

"He's my friend. Like a little brother," I said.

"Hmm. Low blood pressure, low sugar... What are you doing, kid?" he huffed.

"I'm taking a blood sample. We'll run some tests and I'll send you the reports ASAP," Dr. William said.

Dr. William took my sample and left.

"You should tell LT about this," Soap said, concerned.

"Tell what? It's just normal, nothing unexpected," I replied. "I should go rest." I headed to my room.

Sitting on the bed, another wave of nausea hit me. I rushed to the bathroom to vomit.

"I think I caught a stomach bug," I messaged Simon.

After messaging Simon, I rinsed my mouth and returned to my room, feeling utterly exhausted. I laid down on the bed, trying to ignore the lingering nausea. My phone buzzed with a reply from Simon.

"Are ya alright, love? Do ya need me to come back?" Simon's concern was evident even through the text.

"No, I'll be fine. Just need some rest," I typed back, though I wished he could be here with me.

Johnny knocked gently on my door. "Nora, you okay in there?"

"Yeah, Johnny. Just feeling a bit off," I said, my voice weak.

"Need anythin'? Some water, tea, maybe?" he offered.

"Water would be nice, thanks," I replied, managing a small smile.

Johnny returned quickly with a glass of water. "Here ya go. Rest up, alright?"

"Thanks, Johnny," I said, taking a sip.

As I settled back into bed, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong. The nausea, the dizziness, the fatigue—it all felt too much to be just a stomach bug. But for now, all I could do was wait for Dr. William's call with the test results.

Hours passed, and I drifted in and out of a restless sleep. Finally, my phone rang. It was Dr. William.

"Nora, I got your results. Can you talk?"

"Yes, Dr. William, please tell me," I said, my heart pounding.

"Your iron levels are indeed low, and you have low blood pressure and low blood sugar, which explains your dizziness and nausea. However, there's something else. Have you missed your period recently?"

My breath caught in my throat. "Yes, I have. What does that mean?"

"Nora, I think you might be pregnant. We'll need to do a confirmation test, but the symptoms and your blood work suggest it."

Pregnant? The word echoed in my mind. I thanked Dr. William and ended the call, feeling a mix of shock, joy, and fear. How would I tell Simon? What would this mean for us?

I decided not to share this with Johnny yet. It felt too personal, too raw to discuss with anyone before Simon knew. I needed time to process this on my own.

Lost in thought, I barely noticed when Johnny knocked on my door again. "Nora? Ya look like you've seen a ghost. Everythin' alright?"

"Just tired, Johnny. Thanks for the water," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Johnny, I've got to go see Simon," I told him as I hurriedly threw some clothes into my suitcase.

"Everythin' alright, Nora?" Johnny asked, concern etched on his face.

"Yeah, just...something important came up. I need to talk to him face-to-face," I said, avoiding eye contact.

"Alright, if ye need anythin', let me know," Johnny replied, his worry evident but respectful of my need for privacy.

I had told Johnny not to inform Simon that we were coming to see him. Dr. William had emailed me the test report, and I had it ready to show Simon. When the helicopter landed on the base, Johnny stepped out first, offering me a hand to help me down.

I wore simple white joggers, a long figure-hugging jersey dress, and a denim jacket. As I stepped onto the base, I could feel all eyes on me. Johnny grabbed my suitcase and led the way inside the building. The stares followed me as I walked, my heart pounding with anticipation.

Johnny carried my suitcase inside while I continued my search for Simon. I found him in the briefing room with Captain Price and Gaz, all of them engrossed in a discussion over a map. Simon was leaning on the desk, his focus on the map. I stood in the doorway, crossing my arms over my chest, waiting for him to notice me.

Suddenly, his eyes lifted and met mine. A look of surprise and concern flashed across his face.

"Lieutenant Simon Riley," I said, my voice steady but carrying the weight of the news I was about to share. "We need to talk."

He straightened up, his expression shifting to one of immediate seriousness. "Nora? What are ya doin' here?"

Captain Price and Gaz exchanged curious glances but remained silent. Simon quickly walked over to me, concern evident in his eyes. "Let's go somewhere private," he said softly.

We walked out of the room and found a quiet spot outside. Simon turned to me, his eyes searching mine. "What's goin' on, love?"

I took a deep breath and handed him the printed email from Dr. William. "Simon, I'm pregnant," I said, my voice trembling slightly.

He looked down at the paper, then back up at me, his eyes wide with shock. "Pregnant?" he repeated, as if needing to hear it again to believe it.

I nodded. "I wanted to tell you in person. This is big, Simon. It changes everything."

He stood there for a moment, processing the news. Then, he pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. "We'll get through this, Nora. Together. I'm here for ya, no matter what."

Tears of relief and joy welled up in my eyes as I held onto him. "I was so scared, Simon. But hearing you say that...it makes everything better."

He kissed the top of my head, his voice full of love and determination. "We'll figure it out, love. One step at a time. Now, let's get you settled and take care of ya and our little one."

#cod ghost #ghost call of duty #ghost cod #simon ghost riley #simon riley #call of duty #modern warfare #modern warfare 2 #ghost x reader #ghost x y/n #simon ghost x reader #ghost x you #task force 141 #task force x reader

[anistarrose]

So the thing is, if people ship characters who are explicitly not into romance (whether aromantic or otherwise), that ultimately doesn't affect me on a level beyond "annoyance" — I can blacklist tags, and blacklist or block people who don't tag it. What I have to ask myself every time I see these things, however, is this:

"Does this reflect how this person feels about romance-averse people in real life? Does this reflect how this person treats romance-averse people in real life?"

Because how someone engages with fiction doesn't have to be a reflection of how they treat real people, obviously — and in this case, I would of course hope that it isn't. But if you know anything about what being aromantic is like, in real life or on the Internet... you'll understand why I'm not optimistic.

Thinking two characters are so cute together that you reject a bunch of their characterization to make it happen is just annoying, not a crime! But the second you make the leap to telling a real human person things like:

"I don't care how much you say you're not interested, because you just won't realize that you and X would make such a cute couple,"

or:

"I don't care how much you say you're not interested, because you're clearly just in denial which the Right Person has to come along and fix,"

or:

"But — but — but not falling in love is just so tragic! I want you to be happy, not sad and lonely your whole life!"

like the rationales that apparently motivate so many people to ship? Then that has crossed the line into harming real people.

I don't actually think that shipping aromantic characters is the primary cause in the cause-effect diagram, when it comes to the correlating the shipping with "likelihood to say these terrible, invalidating, autonomy-undermining things to real people." Precisely, I don't think it's a cause to a meaningful degree when you compare with the opposite direction — I think people who say these things to real aromantics (or anyone else who just isn't interested!), because of what they think about these real people, are in turn more likely to think amatonormative things about fictional characters. I think that there exists a feedback loop to some extent, because fiction can influence people's beliefs to some degree, but it's not symmetric. Real-life amatonormativity causes mass amatonormativity in fandom spaces.

So... at this point, do you see why aromantic people in fandom get a little defensive about aro characters, and about other characters who overlap with aro experiences? You see why we get kind of pissy when people very selectively throw a very specific part of their characterization out the window? You see why we maybe don't want to associate with those people? Why it makes us so uncomfortable?

"Stop shipping romance-repulsed characters," in my opinion, is a understandable outcry from the community that I obviously sympathize with — but it nevertheless conceals the core of the issue, especially from non-aromantics who aren't living with amatonormativity shoved down their throats at all times, and therefore might not be able to read between the lines. At the core, this isn't actually a debate about the morality of shipping in fiction, despite overlap with that discourse on the surface.

The real cry for change isn't "stop shipping that character." It's "start accepting me for who I am, without trying to either undermine or mourn it at every opportunity." Because at the moment, the overlap between people who erase fictional aromanticism and real aromanticism is significant — and even where they don't overlap, you know what? Romance-averse folks just trying to live in peace can't fucking tell the difference.

#amatonormativity #no one asked for my thoughts on this but i have thoughts that i've never seen spelled out explicitly by anyone else. sorry #i'll get back on the aro positivity posting grind by the time the clock ticks over into pride month in my timezone i promise

[scorpioriesling]

Once Upon A Dream

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *

Pairings: Azriel x reader

Warnings: Suspense, angst, light swearing, slight abuse

Summary: As the daughter of a malevolent king on the Continent, you were used to spending time alone. Sure, you had tasks to complete, but not much free-will was given under your father’s harsh rule. This wouldn’t stop your quest for something more; but for every good thing, a price must be paid. Would you allow yourself to be convinced -- by a fae of all beings -- that you're destined for more than a life within the castle?

SR’s Note: Guys… this idea had me itchingggg to start writing it, but I just get very very very busy and I procrastinate tbh. Seriously, I'm putting my whole ･ﾟ: *pusss･ﾟ: * into this one -- jokes aside, I’m just excited to share this idea and illustrate how I was piecing it together in my brain. I’m so excited for you guys to read it — maybe listen to Once Upon A Dream (this version, specifically) while reading it? We all love a good Lana moment. <3 Enjoy, my darlings. I apoligize in advance for any editing mistakes!

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *

"Good morning Mrs. Julie," you say kindly, voice as soft as the rays of sunlight streaming through the small windows.

"Oh, good morning, child!" The short, aging kitchen attendant clasps one of her worn hands in yours and offers you a warm smile, and you smile broadly back at her. "Always a delight to see you so early in the day," she continues, releasing your hand to turn her attention back to the mound of settling dough on the counter before her that is beginning to rest. "Say, what are you planning for today, hm?" She asks, picking the sticky, yeasty mound from the wooden board and expertly working it between her palms. It's as unbothered by her touch as she is by the hustle and bustle of other attendants working in preparation around her. "I hear the weather is to be kind today." She winks, and you consider.

"Well, I was planning to tend to the garden... again..." she gives you a knowing look, hearing no different any other morning.

"And I assume you will eat your breakfast and brush your hair too?" You narrow your eyes playfully at her, but can't help the grin tugging at your lips as a chuckle escapes her lips.

"Maybe I want to go for a more disheveled look today?" You say sassily, and she bumps her hip with yours. You loose a laugh.

"Go on, dear," She says.

"Well, I heard father was planning a meeting with Graysen of some sort, which means he won't be here..." You allude. Julie's brows raise, but she doesn't take her eyes off of the dough she is kneading.

"Oooooh, so you are thinking of forging plans while your father is away then, hmm?" She coos. You scoff, pushing off the counter you had braced upon to fold your arms across your chest.

"Julie! How could you accuse me of such a thing?" You throw her a playfully incredulous look, which she returns with a mischedious grin.

"Because, my dear," she picks the mass of dough up, tossing it into a nearby bowl with a heavy thwop. "You forget that I've known you for... well, let's see, twenty three years now?" She glances sidelong at you, and you drop your arms, gracing her with another soft smile.

"Which is precisely why you are absolutely right," you say, as she grabs a wet cloth and begins wiping the loose flour from the worktable. You find one on a table nearby, clutching it and working to help her clean up.

"Y/N, no no no, you'll only ruin your dress dear," she tuts. You roll your eyes, and she shakes her head, taking the rag from your hand.

"Just because I am technically a Princess, doesn't mean I can't or don't wan't to help," you say. She continues wiping, smiling gravely at you.

"I know dearie. If you didn't, you wouldn't come down here to say hello each morning." A sad smile takes over your lips, and just then, the clock chimes. Your head turns, and you notice that it is nine on the dot. You had better be getting to the dining room to meet your family.

"You'd better be going dear," Julie seems to echo your thoughts aloud. You nod, making way for the stairwell and muttering polite hellos to the other attendants as they pass.

"I'll see you later on Julie -- have a lovely day!" You call as you begin the climb. It only takes a few minutes to climb the few flights to the main floor of the castle from the service kitchen, but as you swing the heavy door open, your eyes are met with none other than your father's from the end of the long table.

He says nothing, he only seems to stare right through you as you swallow the breath you didn't realize you'd been holding and pull the oak door closed. Graysen lifts his gaze from the table, eyes narrowing on you slightly as he shifts his eyes from you, to the clock handing from the wall, and then back to you again.

"You're late, sister," he says. You huff, squaring your shoulders and walking swiftly to your unassigned-assigned seat at the much-too-large dining table. You father takes a deep breath, and you stare sidelong at him, the cascading sunlight framing his stature like flames around an ember in a firepit.

Graysen continues to stare expectantly at you, and you fold your hands in your lap, tilting your chin as high as you can and let out a soft groan.

"Ughhh okay! I'm sorry I am a couple of minutes late, okay? I apologize. Can we just eat?" You ask, eyes dancing between your brother and father in question. Your father sighs, still not speaking as he reaches for the plate of crepes in the middle of the breakfast spread. You dejectedly look at Greysen, who only shrugs and flicks a few sausages onto his own plate. It isn't until a few moments of eating in silence that your father finally speaks.

"The meeting... today... Gray... we need to ask the Queens about the border and what we need to be doing about the, well, the problem were having. The slippage, rather." He says, eyes still downcast toward his plate. Graysen nods, seeming to know exactly what your father is speaking of.

"Mhm, sounds about right." He says through a mouthful of sausage. You furrow your brows. What are they talking even talking about? It isn't like they ever tell you anything -- to them, you're good for flittering around the palace and adding to the aesthetic of the place. They've never dared say it, but they don't need to; their actions say enough. You fear the woman your brother courts would only end up down the same path you're currently on, seeing how the last few have turned out anyway.

"I need you to take this seriously," Your father says. Graysen swallows, clearing his throat and wipes his mouth with his napkin. His eyes meet yours swiftly before boring into your father.

"Father... when have I ever not taken something like this seriously?" He asks. Your father shrugs, but continues to eat, his plate nearly clean. You glance at your clean plate, contemplating the right time to ask if you can leave the grounds. Your father barely ever allows for your free-will; and you doubt he'd let you go today. After a few more beats of silence, you decide what better time than now to ask?

Clearing your throat, you sit up staight in your chair. "Father, I wanted to-"

"You have flour on your dress, Y/N."

✧･ﾟ: *

The soft pattering of soles on marble sounds beneath your pacing feet for as you angrily step back and forth across your room. You've been in here since breakfast, and though its only been but an hour, you feel as though half the day has gone by. You were so sick and tired of your father never paying you any mind -- he never seemed to care what you thought, or what you had to say. It almost seemed like he believed you to not posess a brain in your head, the way he disreguarded his only daughter.

You're sure you've walked a ring into the floor by now, but when you look down, it looks as pristine as it did when you'd returned from breakfast of course. You huff, almost hoping for some sort of penalty for your father's actions.

Oh, he'd be getting a penalty, all right.

You had a good idea how the rest of this fine day would go; first, you'd trot through the gardens, as you always did to show your father you were keeping busy. Then, when he took your brother for whatever meeting they had, you'd venture as you pleased -- a punishable, hainous crime, truly -- and then, you'd return by sundown, as to not raise suspicion.

Plain and simple.

This plan was perfect enough, you'd decided as you ended your pacing tyrade and instead padded over to your expansive closet to choose a lighter, cleaner dress for... "gardening". Settling on a pale blue sundress that ended just above the knees and fit just right, you fastened your sandals and tied your hair with a bow. A once over in your full-length mirror painted the portrait of a princess, one your father would be proud of.

Or, one he would believe, anyway.

As you decended the grand staircase, you overheard your brother's voice from the foyer, and you halted, pressing your body against the railing. Leaning over ever so slightly, you strained to hear what he could be saying.

"No father, I'm not saying that," he sounded exasperated. "I'm just saying that if we have faeries coming over the wall, we are the closest thing to it, and the first thing we should probably be doing is checking any surrounding areas, rather than sending troops to the wall itself." He argues. You hear a huff, and you know its none other than your father.

"Right, but the Queens are saying that if we guard the wall, we stop this spillage of faeries into our land all together, then we wouldn't have anything to worry about to begin with," your father retorts. You furrow your brow. There he goes, using that word again. Spillage. They're speaking as though faeries are on the continent, on our lands? But, that wouldn't make any sense. What's the point?

"Why even come over the wall in the first place?" Graysen asks. Huh, you think to yourself. I was thinking the same thing. Maybe I am just as smart as your son, maybe it could be me going to these meetings, Father. You hear footsteps, and your breath hitches as you glimpse them striding for the front doors. If they so much as turned around, looked up...

"What do you think this meeting is for today, my boy?" Your father claps Graysen on the shoulder, and you decide to make your entrance. Stepping loudly down the stairs, both of their heads turn to face you, the ghost of a smile falling from your father's face when he sees you. Graysen only cocks an eyebrow.

"Going somewhere?" He asks hautily. You plaster the most sickenly-sweet smile on your face as you step onto the landing, and clasp both hands behind your back.

"Only the gardens," you say, meeting your brother's stare. "The hedges are quite overgrown, and the rosebushes need tending. Lot of work to do today." He only hmmphs, and your father's stone-cold stare doesn't falter.

"The change of attire is... appreciated." He says dryly. You nod, and he blinks. "We have a meeting to be off to. We should return after sundown. You'll do well on your own for the evening?" He asks without an ounce of actual concern.

"Of course, father." You say. He nods, turning to Graysen.

"We should be off then." And with that, he is opening the door and heading out with your brother. Out to some secret meeting that you can't and shouldn't know about for Gods knows why.

Out and away for you to finally enjoy some well-deserved freedom.

You watch as the last horse in the group attending with your father today is far enough from the palace that you cannot make out the shape anymore, and then practically book it to the back of the palace. Throwing open the back doors, prancing down the marble stairs to the gardens, you dance and twirl past every bush and weed and stone bench that you definitely will not be paying any mind to today -- well, honestly, these rose bushes are looking a little rough. You pull dead petals and bulbs off as you go, which only brightens the path as you make your way towards...

Wherever your feet carry you, you suppose.

Not before long, you've passed every rose bush. Every weed. Every overgrown hedge. You slow your steps as you skip past the last stone bench, realizing you truly are at the edge of the grounds, the large iron fence drawing nearer and nearer. It's rusty as you finally get in front of the latch, running your fingers along it. You still try your luck nonetheless, doubting it would be unlocked. You unclip the hook, pushing the heavy metal bars tainted coppery red with age and-

It opens.

You almost can't believe it.

You gasp, stepping through the small opening and looking beyond. All that is really out there is dense forest, and to be honest, you don't have much interest or experience in going out in a place like that. However, when you ponder, you really don't have much experience in anything, so would it really hurt to try something new? What was the worst that could happen -- you could see a bunny?

You take a deep breath, and then begin walking. The sun was high in the sky, and the tendrils of light falling delicately through the trees was... lovely. Peaceful. Out here, it felt so free, like you could do or be whatever you pleased without confinement.

Another twig snapped in the distance, and you whipped your head in the direction. You hated the way your heartbeat sped up, over a simple forrest creature. Shaking your head, you continued on, looking quickly over your shoulder at the palace that was growing smaller with each step you took.

It wasn't much longer before you decided to stop and rest for a bit, the walk tiring you out more than you'd thought. Your half-lidded eyes began to glaze over when they caught on something just across the way. It was... out of place, it, didn't... belong there. You sat up straight, senses heightening when you saw the figure move, the paleness a stark contrast to the lush greenery around you.

That definitely doesn't belong here.

"You need not be afraid," a voice rang out. You were on your feet in an instant, heart pounding in your chest as your eyes darted between the trees. Where did it go?

"Behind you, dear." You jumped, adrenaline spiking as a rush of fear flooded your system. You fell flat on your rear, kicking backward with your hands and feet. You barely registered with stood before you, the smile like a cat staring down at a helpless mouse.

"Allow me to repeat myself; do. Not. Be. Afraid." Your breath came out in small pants, and you stared at the man with pure terror in your eyes. He was a few feet from you, merely standing calmly and looking at you as though waiting for you to stand up. You took just a moment to regain control of your thoughts, remembering you were in fact in a dress, on the ground, and there was a stranger in front of you. You scrambled to your feet, dusting off the back of your dress and glancing sidelong at the man. He smirked at you.

"Very well then. I don't have all day; I did come here with purpose." You look at him incredulously.

"Whatever are you talking about?" You ask. He folds his arms over his chest.

"A proposition, really." He states. "I've been... noticing... you might be interested in something I have to offer." He states. You raise an eyebrow.

"Do tell." You say flatly. You clasps his hands behind his back, beginning a slow circle around you.

"I have the ability to grant you something -- a power, of sorts -- that I cannot posess myself. It's a very special gift, child, one some would," he leans close, and you stiffen. The air around you even seems to drop in temperature. "...kill for." You shudder.

"What makes you think I want it? Why me? How do you have this?" You ask, and then it hits you -- he is a faerie. He is fae, and he came over the wall. You turn, staring at him as he laughs cruelly.

"Ahh, so you've put it together then." You glare at him.

"What is your kind even doing on this side of the wall, huh? Don't you understand people like my father would kill you?" You spat. The man only grins wickedly.

"Precisely, which is why I am offering this gift to you, Princess," you straighten.

"With this new strength, you will weild shadows of emerald; posess strength, at your will; have the ability to forge your own magic, transform your own reality, and manipulate what is real," he explains. Your eyes widen. Was all of this true?

"And... why give it to me?" You ask.

"Lets just say... I have a war, I am heading. I am a King too, after all." He lets out a dark chuckle. You look toward the ground, thinking for a moment. Apparently you think too long, because he starts talking again.

"You'll be a good asset to have when I need it, and I couldn't keep this gift even if I wanted to." He scoffs. "Like calls to like, some joke... by the Cauldron-"

"Okay. I accept."

He grins, all of his decaying teeth exposed and you grimace.

"Excellent."

Thunder cracks overhead, the sky exchanging the sun for an overcasted gray pantone. You look side to side, the leaves and twigs around you rising from the forrest floor in a dance on a phantom wind as the breeze tornadoes around you in waves. It increases speed, and the man cackles, the crown on his head glimmering with the movements.

You squeeze your eyes shut, the motions, the sounds -- its all too much. More thunder whips overhead, the wind picking up and you open your eyes to watch as the man beging to recede into the windstorm.

"Hey!" You call out, reaching out a lame hand in protest. "Wait! How am I supposed to-" Another flash of lightning strikes the ground, inches from your fingertips and you shriek, retracting your hand and shoving your palms into your eyes. You can't help but fall to your knees, the ground biting into your flesh as your dress blows and tugs with the whipping winds around you. Tears threaten to fall, and you curl into the soft Earth, wishing it would drag you under.

You almost confuse your hairbow for the sensation of the cool, silky caress against your cheek. You instinctively reach up to touch it, a tear slipping free as you cry out. Peering up, you see wisps of smoky black amid the everlasting windstorm, threading through your fingers and softly caressing your face. You sob, the lightning overhead only drawing closer. The coolness of the smoke around your cheek, over your shoulder, and through your fingers brings a little comfort to the scariest moment of your life.

It only continues to get scarier as lightning streaks across the sky once more. This time, however, it doesn't span the whole sky. It's aiming right at you. As if you're in slow motion, you don't react quick enough -- the lightning continues to move at, well, lightning speed, as it hits the mark it was aiming for.

✧･ﾟ: *

You awake with a jolt, thrashing against the cool silken sheets wrapped around you. You're back in your bed, the soft hues of the late afternoon sun basking your room in an amber glow. Your eyes dart around the room wildly; how did you end up in here? How much time had passed? The last thing you remembered were the cool caresses of those shadowy figures as the tornado-like winds whipped around you-

You leap from your bed, landing on the floor as soft as a feline and feeling... lighter. You furrow your brow, checking yourself over. Stepping in front of your mirror, you didn't look much different; sure, your hair could use a brush run through it, but not much else was amiss. You let out a sigh of relief, the sunlight catching in the flecks of your irises, highlighting the emerald specks hidden in them.

Oh. That was new.

Then, you remembered that tiny, new little change.

The.. what had he called it? The gift, that fae had given you.

The King, rather. Oh so he said.

You chewed on your bottom lip, beginning to pace around like you'd done this morning. You thought up what you should do about this... predicament, you were now in. You'd learned of the war that was happening, or so this "King", had told you. He also said you would be an asset to him, which you still couldn't understand or come up with any explaination as to why.

You halted your footsteps. You'd spent many days in this room, in this palace, pacing, doing absolutely nothing but wasting time -- and if the threat of war was real, if that faerie was telling the truth, then you needed to find out more for yourself. Gods be damned if your father would ever clue you in on such matters.

You made way for the stairs, practically taking them two at a time, nearly floating down the staircase it seemed with the pace you were going. You continued to make haste, bolting for your father's study. The sky was streaking with tinges of purple and crimson, sign that dinner would soon be ready and your father would be on his merry way home soon.

You didn't have much time.

Heaving the massive doors of his study, your breath caught when you finally saw the interior. Sure, you'd caught glances inside every now and again -- but you were forbidden in this room, as was any servant, any maiden, even Graysen wasn't allowed in here. You knew, whatever you needed to find had to be locked away in here. You could feel it, although it was calling out to you.

Stepping in, you made way for the rows of books along the far wall. It was only dimly lit inside the room, but you did not have a problem seeing the titles as clearly as if the sun shone from the ceiling of this very room. Was this another condition of the gift given to you?

Scanning the texts, most seemed rather useless. There were a few that pertained to faeries, but you'd already been educated on the history of their kind -- that wasn't what you were in here for. You turned, peering over your shoulder toward the windows. A massive trunk sat, and every nerve ending vibrated with the call of your power drawing you to it.

You rushed over, dropping to your knees and popping the locks. Shoving the lid open, you found a single map inside. You yanked it out, letting the lid slam shut as you unrolled it.

The map had a few areas on it -- ones you'd heard of, but couldn't understand why your father would be keeping under such protection. The scroll featured documentation of the Continent, and above it; Prythian. It was divided into smaller sections, and off to one side there was another small island with the title of Hybern, and you didn't miss a large, red X over the area scribbled in dark ink. You rolled it back up quickly, tucking it under your arm.

You figured would suffice, and you would be able to work off of this and gather more information from the library, but as you made way for the door...

His desk. It was practically screaming at you, begging to be rummaged through. It was clean, pristine, and calling so loudly that you stopped dead in your tracks. Turning slowly toward it, you confusedly stepped closer.

"What am I... looking for over here?" You wondered aloud. You looked all around -- he had no papers on it, no boxes or locks stored near the floor. You ran your hands along the sides of it even, but it wasn't until you sat in his chair that you felt the exhaustion hit you. Wave after wave of intensity coursed through you, as if alerting you to take take take what was needed. You threw your hands in the air.

"There's nothing here!" You shouted, nearing your witts end at the empty desk before you. Your veins flooded with electricity, and you hissed at the pain. Why wouldn't it stop? Why wouldn't it all just... go away?

"THERE IS NOTHING!" You repeat, yelling into the empty air. "I CAN'T FIND IT-" You bring both of your hands down on the desk, bright green flames bursting from your palms as they make contact with the wood. You gasped loudly, the flares dissipating into thin tendrils of emerald smoke, similar to those from the forest earlier in the day. You stared down at the backs of your hands, not sure if you wanted to move them and see the damage you'd done, or keep them there and enjoy your ignorance for a few moments longer.

You shakily remove them from their planted position, only growing more confused when the desk below remained pristine. "What... the... Hell..." you mutter. You glance toward the ground, noticing a small tray laying haphazardly below. A few papers and quills lay scattered about, and you brace the ground, craning your neck to look at the underside of the desk.

It was secured underneath, you see. The force must have knocked the hidden compartment off of its hinges.

You pick up the tray and the supplies, laying them out on your father's desk to examine. Nevermind that there is a keyhole in the front, and no key in sight -- you wouldn't have been able to get inside the compartment anyway. Amid the papers, there are many pertaining to past trips that are no longer relevant; but a few on top of the pile catch your eye. Other than Graysen's birth certificate, a few of the other pages feature words like "Queens", and "securing the Continental borders" and "aligning with Hybern for the war"-

Your pulled from your amazement when you hear the unmistakeable sound of hooves outside the front entrance. Your blood runs cold, and you quickly shove the discarded papers back in the tray and jam it back onto its hinges under your father's desk. It doesn't fit quite right -- but it will have to do for now. You'd be dead if he caught you poking around in here.

You quickly glance around the room as you swipe the rather important documents from his desk as well as the map, and assure the room looks just as you found it. You're pulling the door closed, waiting for the soft sound of the latch when you hear the grand doors opening. Shit. The only way to your room is the grand staircase, and going that way will only ensure that your father and brother see you, contraband in hand. How are you going to get out of this one?

Think think think, what other routes could you take? You rack your brain, but can't think of any. Taking the service stairs would draw attention as dinner is about to be served and the attendants are using those at the moment, oh Gods how you wish you could just be in your room right now...

And just like that, you were.

You look around incredulously, dropping the map and the papers in shock. One minute, you were outside your father's study. And the next...

You were here.

But, how?

You nearly double over, bracing a hand on your dresser as the realization hits you with full force. The wood brashes against the wall loudly, and you hear your name in the distance. You shake your head, slowly as the gravity of the situation sets in. You can't believe this. What you've done. What you have done. What have you done?

"No... no no no," you groan aloud. Heavy footsteps sound outside your room, and you go into panic mode, pushing yourself from the dresser and kicking the papers and map beneath your bed. You're just in time -- within seconds, a quick knock sounds at your door and your brother is inching it open.

"Y/N? Are you... alright? In here?" He asks cautiously.

You clear your throat, smoothing down your hair and taking a seat atop your bed. "Yes." He opens the door wider, peering inside and gives you a bored look.

"Father requests your presence. Dinner is to be served in five minutes." He says flatly. You nod, trying hard as you are willing to mask every emotion swirling inside. His brow furrows, and he gives you one last quizzical look.

"You sure nothing is going on up here?" He asks. You shake your head.

"Nope." You pop the P, smoothing your skirt and he looks you up and down with distaste as he begins shutting the door.

"Don't be late this time."

✧･ﾟ: *

You barely get any sleep, tossing and turning all night as thoughts of your new gifts and new... self plague you. All night, you continue to have haunting dreams, visions of yourself displaced in Prythian among the monsters that lurk the lands from the stories you'd always been told. The faeries that had once kept humans as slaves, faeries who have a thirst for human blood.

But now it was you. You who had been tricked. You who had been a fool, and accepted such a curse from a fae himself only to become what you feared most.

How would you ever be able to tell your family? Your father, aligning with Hybern to take out the fae-kind, preparing for war where he would not bat an eye slaughtering anything other than human. Your brother, who's last courted female left him, taking to Prythian herself instead. You knew where his loyalties lied, and they most certainly weren't with you.

This agony continued for days, not that your father caught on. He never paid you mind anyway, so keeping your inner turmoil from him wasn't very difficult. It was the restless nights, the nights that you'd awake in terror, and constant thoughts of what may happen to you here that plagued you the most.

You needed to find some way out.

A few weeks since being given your gift per se, you were headed down to the kitchen one morning after a particularly harrowing night to greet your favorite person on the Continent, the sweet smell of fresh biscuits bringing a seed of joy to your morning.

"Good morning Mrs. Julie," you stated. Mrs. Julie turned from her work station, greeting you with her signature smile -- only for it to turn into a frown moments later.

"My, dear child! Have you gotten no rest in days?" She asks, taking your cheeks in her hands. She turns your face side to side, and you let out a yawn in confirmation. She tsk tsk tsks, shaking her head and dropping her hands. She turns back to her station.

"What's been keeping you awake, hmm?" She asks. You take a seat on a stool near the end of her table, watching as she works on icing a tray of fruit tarts before her. You breathe deeply -- Julie is your favorite, most trusted person in the world. Since your mother died, she took you in of sorts, always caring for and giving you the love you lacked from your other family members. But this? This kind of secret... it just might be something that is too much for her to handle. Is she knew you were a faerie, she may see you differently. You didn't know if it was something you could stomach.

"Is it... a male, perhaps?" She asks. You scoff, nudging her with your arm. That wakes you right up.

"Oh please, Mrs. Julie -- if I had a lover, you'd be the first to know!" You say playfully. She chuckles, continuing to ice.

"Well, dearie I don't know what you tell me and what you decide to keep is all your business," she offers politely. You don't know how to respond, so you stay quiet. She sighs, setting down the icing bag and taking your hands in hers. Her soft eyes peer into yours and she leans close.

"Y/N, if there is something troubling you, you know you can always talk with me, right?" She says quietly. You nod wordlessly, tears prickling the back of your eyes. Her eyes search yours in silent question, and you loose a breath. You know she is trustworthy, no matter how she might look at you after this, you know you need to talk to someone about your situation.

"Maybe... maybe there is, something." You say. She nods, looking down at the table like she knew you'd say that.

"Well, how about after breakfast when I take my break, we can meet in the garden? Talk about it?" She offers. You nod, and she pulls you into a tight hug. You let a single tear slip free, swiping it away before letting go from her embrace.

"Alright then -- run along, child. You don't want to be late for breakfast, now."

✧･ﾟ: *

As it turns out -- you'd worried over nothing. Mrs. Julie had listened to every word you explained, only offering you her undivided attention and words of sorrow for what you endured. She also offered her promise that she would do whatever was needed to help you, especially when you explained how you'd gone into your father's study.

"Human, faerie, royal -- Hell, you could even be one of those pesky buzzards that ravish the crops in the springtime, and I would still love you just the same, my dear." Her words nearly brought you to tears, and that's when you knew you'd made the right choice in telling her.

That night as you laid down, your head felt clearer -- the grasp and acceptance on who and what you are that much stronger. You hoped that tonight, you would finally be able to enjoy the splendor of peaceful sleep, as your eyelids began to slide shut...

A willowy, chilled breeze slipped past your shoulders, and you instinctively tugged at your duvet, wrapping it around the exposed skin. Moments later, the breeze slid past again, tickling your neck and dragging past your nose. You scrunched it, flipping over on your pillow to face the other side and gripped your blankets tighter in your fist.

Then, the duvet was yanked from your bed altogether.

You shreiked, eyes flying open as you scrambled to a sitting position. You were far from the lamp that stood feet from your bed, but you didn't need it. Through the moonlight pooling in from your window, you were able to make out the immistakable shadow of a body, leaned against the frame. Your heart rate picked up, taking in the sharp-tipped wings draped behind him. You raised a hand on instinct; familiar flames of jade eliciting with the motion.

The man stands to his full height, taking a step toward the bed and you lunge forward, braced on your knees and one hand as the sparks in the other only grow.

"Don't you DARE take one more step!" You hiss, and he puts his hands up in defense, but continues to walk frward slowly.

"Listen, Princess, there's no need to get all-"

"I SAID, STOP." You fire a line of your power towards him, but to your dismay, he easily avoids it, sidestepping. It lands upon one of the paintings handing on your wall instead, cremating it to nothing but ash. He watches, turning to you and whistling lowly as he halts his movements.

"Wowwwww," He purrs. "Were you really going to... incinerate me?" His head turns to you, and you glare at him through the dark.

"I most certainly was." You hop from the bed, landing with lithe precision and slowly approach the intruder. Soft cobalt stones glimmer in the moonlight upon the male's shoulders, one on his chest as your eyes roam over him. It is easier to make out his defining features as you draw nearer, and...

Holy shit.

"Well, if you'd done that, you wouldn't be able to size me up like I'm your last meal; as you're doing now," he responds with a chuckle. You scoff, and fold your arms over your chest. A heat rises to your cheeks as you remember you are in only a nightgown, and this is, again, a stranger. In your home. The flecks of chartruese return to your irises, and the handsome, winged man puts is hands up once more.

"Hey, hey. I'm sorry to have frightened you. But, it's not like I could've walked through your front door, you know, and I had to come during the night-" You shake your head, eyes dulling in color a shade.

"Who are you?" You demand.

"Azriel." He bends dramatically at the waist, and you roll your eyes. "Pleased to finally meet you, Princess Y/N."

"Uh huh. Why are you in my bed chambers?" You ask. He sighs, taking a step forward and beginning to pace. You fold your arms over your chest, sensing a long explaination coming with this one.

"Well, actually I came to talk with you. About... you." He says quietly. You raise an eyebrow, perching on the end of the bed.

"What about me?" You ask, feigning ignorance. You weren't stupid -- you were a human girl, given the powers of fae. Why wouldn't another of their kind come crawling in here to ask questions?

"You're... you've been changed. You've been given this power that you aren't experienced with, and-"

"And what? You came here to take it back?" You defend. Azriel looks at you, brows hung low as he frowns at you, annoyed.

"No, I came to help you navigate it." He states, fingertips pressed together. You sigh, leaning back on your hands. The action causes the thin nightgown to ride up on your thighs, and you don't miss Azriel's line of sight trailing along the hem of your dress.

"What makes you so sure I want your help?" You clip. Azriel clears his throat, looking down at the floor, then to the window he came through.

"You probably don't, and I get that, alright?" He sighs. Something in your heart strains a bit, and you feel a bit bad for being so rude with him. But... then you remember he came in through your window in the middle of the night. Unannounced. "But I am sure you've heard of what is to happen in merely a few days between the humans and fae alike, the war and... and you may very well get caught up in it."

His face softens as he takes a seat next to you on the bed, the mattress dipping with his weight. It causes you to shift closer to him, and you nearly tumble right into him. Not that... you'd mind...

Focus.

"I... I've heard of the war..." You start. His hazel eyes gaze softly at you, and you continue. "When... when I was in the forest, and when I was, well, I don't know, when this "happened" to me," you gesture with your hands. "The male said I would be useful to him. But I don't know what he was on about. Or, why me? I don't understand. He kept saying like calls to like and he couldn't keep it himself -- whatever that means." A small smile graces Azriel's lips, and you realize how close in proximity you've scooted. You scootch back an inch, raising an eyebrow in question.

"What's so funny?" You ask. He turns fully to you, bending a knee to rest on the bed while his other leg remains draped over the side. The iridescent light of the moon is illuminating the planes of his face magnificently; the sharp curve of his jaw, the dark arch of his brow; those full, luscious lips...

"Allow me to show you." He holds out a hand, palm up, and you glance down at it. Dark, inky shadows curl around his arms and run down the tips of his fingers, swirling over his calloused skin. You can't help but lean close, so intrigued by his power so similar to yours.

"I've... I've seen these. Before, they were-"

"In the forest that day?" He finishes. Your eyes meet his, and the shadows extend, dancing up the soft skin of your forearms and twirling through the silky strands of your hair. You let out a small giggle as their featherlight touches retreat, slithering back to Azriel.

"You were there." You say quietly. He nods, a look of regret on his face.

"I'm sorry you have been put through... all of this." He says softly, his hand reaching to lightly cup your knee. Your eyebrows raise slightly at the touch, just a spark of what you felt that day in your father's office shooting through your veins at the contact. His eyes search yours, and you glance down at his hand, the burning inside only deepening when you notice the amount of scars atop it.

It doesn't matter who or what you are -- everyone has a past, you suppose. Your heart tugs on the fact that Azriel seems to have gone through quite a bit.

He notices your stare, and motions to move his hand back. You're quicker, grasping his fingers first, keeping his hand in place. The corner of his mouth tilts upward, and you can't help yourself from doing the same.

Ohh, what your father would do if he caught you like this.

Oh, what your father would. Do.

"Um," you say hastily, rising from the bed. "It is rather late -- and since you seem to be keeping tabs, you know I haven't been sleeping well," you say. Azriel stands, stepping close to you and you suck in a breath.

"Oh, I'll let you sleep Princess," he coos. "But we're pulling those documents out tomorrow night. We have to know what Hybern is planning, and if you want to save your father, and your people..." he saunters toward the window.

"How do you know that I..." You peek under the bed. Sure enough, the documents and the map are all there. Azriel chuckles.

"They like to call me a spymaster. A Shadowsinger," he says. You simply shrug.

"Okay. Whatever that means." He shakes his head, propping a boot on the windowsill and peering out.

"So... you'll be back tomorrow?" You ask wearily. Azriel's eyes meet yours once more, and he nods.

"I'll come earlier next time, if I can." You smile.

"Try not to rip my blankets off of me this time." You say with a chuckle. He shakes his head, ducking through the window and extending his enormous, night-black wings. You rush to the window, gazing out as you watch him disappear into the night.

✧･ﾟ: *

You awoke the next morning, practically floating out of bed and skipping from your dressing chambers to your vanity as you prepared for the day. You slept beautifully, you had to admit -- no nightmares, no tossing, or turning. You breathed a sigh of relief as you twirled in the prettiest yellow sundress you had, taking to the stairs for your usual routine.

"Well, someone is in a much better mood today," Mrs. Julie muses. You pluck a ripe raspberry from her fruit basket, popping it in her mouth as you twirl around the kitchen. With all the hustle and bustle from the other attendants before breakfast, your presence is hardly noticed.

"I slept well," you say. She shakes her head, tapping you on the nose.

"Mmm hmm," she humms. You talk for a few more moments, and then head upstairs for breakfast. You only feel a little guilty for not telling her about Azriel, but... it just seems too new. Too fresh. You decide to wait.

"Good morning, everyone!" You announce, approaching the table. Graysen's groggy morning stare meets yours, and your father sets down his mug to give you a once-over. Your brother only groans.

"What's with the Jolly Miss Sunshine, Y/N?" He grunts. You huff, taking a seat at the table as attendants bring out the food.

"Good morning." Your father responds, and you nod to him with a smile. There is not much warmth in those icey, dead eyes of his but... at least he's paying you mind today.

As you finish, Graysen is excusing himself to leave and you are about to do the same, readying to stand leave the room.

"Please, Y/N. Sit. We need to have a discussion." Your father's tone cuts through the silence of the room like a knife, and your hands begin to clam up as you sit back down at the table. He sets his utensils down on his plate, slowly draining the last of his coffee before looking at you, really looking you in the eyes for the first time in what feels like ages.

"Whatever is the-"

"I know you spend a great deal of time in the gardens." He cuts you off. You clamp your mouth shut, nodding at his statement. He nods with you, staring at you with an unreadable expression.

"I know you spend a great deal of time... tending, to these gardens, hmm?" He says. You nod again, growing impatient and wondering what angle he's working.

"I'm just curious." He pauses, eyes fixating on the wall behind you. "I'm actually, rather curious. Why the hedges... are weeks, weeks overgrown, if you are out there... every day... "tending" to them." He says it more like a statement, and honestly, it is. You hadn't actually cut a bush or a hedge in months, truly. You'd been more focused on doing what you wanted, and since talk of the war began and you'd been given fae powers-

"M-my gloves," you stammer. His eyes slice to yours from the spot they'd fixated on, a quizzical look on his face.

"My gloves. They're... ruined." You say. He nods slowly.

"You need new ones." He asks dryly. You nod, and he sighs airily.

"New gloves it is, then."

✧･ﾟ: *

That night, after bidding everyone goodnight, you made sure to keep your dayclothes on. You wouldn't want another duvet-nightgown-midnight situation happening again...

You don't wait long for Azriel to appear, coming through your window with the stealthiness of a trained feline and silence of a snake. Your breath catches from your seat in the middle of your bed -- his outfit similar today, all leather, but his tank top showed off his bulking arms and the long, black tattoos that ran laterally along them.

"Hi," You whispered. He strided over, kicking off his boots and climbing onto your bed. He offered you a whisper of a smile.

"Hi." He said back. You gestured to the items laid before you.

"I... I got everything out that I had," You say. He nods, looking at every piece of parchment.

"Thank you," he mumbles. You smile, and he moves to pick up the map first.

"So," he begins, clearing his throat. "How much do you know about fae?"

✧･ﾟ: *

You hadn't realized how late it had gotten, the only indication was the ache in your back from leaning over the pages. Your mind was blown, but you only wanted to hear more; whether that was to hear Azriel keep talking, or for information. You didn't mind. Both were favorable.

He'd explained more in-depth about the history of Prythian, the Courts, and the politics of it all. His explaination was a little different than the one you'd always been offered; his seemed more fair and just, whereas yours always seemed more geared toward the hatred of the fae. He also explained more about Hybern, and how the King you met was likely using you as a way to get the humans into his hands for the taking.

"So... he gifted me these powers, thinking it would aid him in the war as my father is working with him, to fight against the rest of the courts? Why would the King, or any humans, want to fight the fae who are against keeping humans as slaves -- it was Hybern who were pro-human demise," you say. Azriel shrugs.

"They've got it backwards," he reasons. "And, the King saw an opportunity with you, vulnerable, and alone, and he took it. This ensures if things go sideways with your father, he has collateral. I told you Princess; you're more involved than you know." You sigh, the realization hitting you like a tidal wave. You close your eyes and rub your temples as you feel a gentle hand rub soothing circles over your back.

"The King is going to kill the humans anyway." You conclude. You don't need to look, but you know Azriel nods. "He's just using my father to lure them to Hybern to do it."

"Which is why you need to convince your father to do the right thing first," he says. Your eyes widen, and you look to him, a sarcastic laugh bubbling from your throat. He brings his hand to your mouth, covering it and leaning rather close to you.

"Shhh," he hushes. "Someone will hear you."

Your eyes level with his hand, and then meet his as he slowly retracts. He's inches from your face now, and you can feel your insides buzzing with delight.

"I know it isn't ideal, and it might not be easy, but it's our last option here." His fingers slowly trace along the side of your arm. "Look, if it were up to me," he whispers. His eyes stare intensely at your lips. "I'd get you out of this wretched place; I'd bring you back with me, where you could..." he inches closer, and your heartbeat quickens. "...be who you are... and, not have to hide it from anyone..." You gaze up at him, and he moves closer, quickly pressing a kiss to your cheek. Your face heats, the skin searing with utter delight at the point of contact. More more more your power thrums.

"Go... with you?" You ask quietly. "To... Prythian?" He nods slightly, downcast eyes raking over your form as his pointer finger and thumb catch a strand of your hair, rolling it between them.

"Azriel... I can't just-"

"Why not, Princess?" The way he says it sends virescent flames shooting through your every vein, and you feel rediculous for thinking this way over a male you've just met so soon. His fingers drop the twirl of hair, knuckles grazing over your jaw affectionately instead. You lean into the touch.

"We've... only just met..." You trail off. He tilts your chin to look at him, a small smirk forming on his perfect mouth.

"Allow some time to get to know me, then." He states, voice low and gravelly. Gods, the way you'd lean in and press your mouth to his right now...

"Think about it?" He asks, eyes pleading. You nod, and he smiles, a small glimpse at his perfectly white teeth peeking through. You gasp.

"Aww... Azriel, you have a nice smile, don't you?" You coo. He shakes his head, a small blush creeping up his neck as he slips from your bed, shucking on his boots. You pad over to him, your hand playfully resting on his arm.

"Azzzz... all night, and I didn't even get to see it once?" You whine in humor. He rolls his eyes, grinning at your words.

"I guess you'll just have to say something that would make me really, really happy," he says. You feel a gentle pull in your chest, and you practically leap toward him. You chuckle, shoving the feeling out of the way.

"Mhm, nice try." You say with a wink. He mounts the windowsill, his hand gripping the top as he stares out. Ughhh his arm is the size of your head against the moonlight painted sky-

"Tomorrow then, Princess?" He says.

"Tomorrow, Shadowsinger." He grins, leaping from the opening and flying into the night.

✧･ﾟ: *

Your days continue in the same pattern; your father and brother ignoring you for the most part, you filling Mrs. Julie in on the little that you know about what's going on (and continuing to feel bad about keeping Azriel a secret from her), and sneaking the Spymaster in at night to pore over your fathers documents and study his war plans with Hybern.

Though no moves have been made yet, Azriel keeps telling you to be on your defenses. You know you'll have to talk with your father soon, and time is running out, but with his daily meetings, you find less-than-opportune moments in each day.

Its been about two weeks now since Azriel first came around, and your day had been the same as usual. Your father had no meetings today, but Graysen was preoccupying him, which meant of course, no discussion. Nonetheless, you still found yourself being summoned after dinner.

That's odd. He never called for you.

As you arrived to the main floor, the attendant led you down the hallway, and your footsteps slowed as you approached none other than...

Your father's study. Your heart sank.

"I don't know what else you want me to say, father, I didn't do it!" The hard slam of what sounded like a fist on a table had you jumping, and the attendant left you at the doorway. You leaned in close, straining to hear the conversation inside.

"Well, someone was fucking in here because all of our plans and deals made with the Queens are missing, Graysen." Your father chides. His tone is angry, rising in octave. "I told you how serious this situation is-"

"I know its fucking serious!" Your brother yells. You raise your eyebrows. You've never heard him yell at your father before, and all be damned if you even considered-

A sharp slap of skin on skin cracks through the air, immediate silence following it. Your hand covers your mouth, eyes wide in shock. You try very hard to listen as the conversation continues.

"Don't you ever raise your voice at me like that again, boy." You father says, lethally calm. In an instant, you hear heavy footsteps and dart out of the way, the door being thrown open and Graysen running through it. His eyes meet yours only for an instant, his face the expression of only a trained killer — you shudder. There’s no way you’d ever be able to be honest with him about what you were. He wouldn’t hesitate to take you out, just as he planned to do aligning with that vile King beyond the wall-

“Y/N. In my study. Now.”

You hastily move inside, trying to remain calm as your father rounds his desk, pressing his fingertips to the surface. You’d expect him to sit, but he makes no move. Instead, he peers down at the wood as you stand motionless in the center of the room.

“I’ll get right to the point.” He grunts, and you chew the inside of your cheek nervously. “Did you enter this study at all within the last few days?”

His eyes detach from the desk, meeting yours before you shake your head, and his lips press into a thin line.

“I’ll only repeat myself once. Did. You. Enter-“

“NO, father, would you truly believe I’d deceive you?” You cut in. His eyes blaze with anger, only a flare, and you realize you’ve hit your mark. Definitely no talking him into changing course tonight.

“I believe you’d do what you need to in order to protect someone you love, or so you think.” He spats. You scowl.

“What are you-“

“Oh don’t paint me a fool, Y/N. I’m not so blind to notice my daughter spending more time in her room than out in the fresh air, out in the garden where you’ve spend it your entire life.” He reaches to the shelf behind him, chucking a pair of new gloves at you. You catch them, and flare at him.

“So what? I haven’t been gardening-“

“Because you stay awake at night. Talking to some male who you’ve been sneaking into my home, MY PALACE, THINKING I WOULDN’T NOTICE-“

Rage fills your every vein, and you unlock the tiny vault in the back of your mind that you promised not to; the most precious secret you’d only let out when the time was right.

Oh, Azriel would be so proud of you for this. Finally defending yourself against what you know is wrong.

“IT WON’T BE YOURS FOR MUCH LONGER IF YOU KEEP TREATING ME THIS WAY.” You bellow. Your chest rises and falls, and his eyes pierce your soul the way he’s glaring at you.

A few agonizingly slow beats of silence pass, your father's fury only intensifying in his stare. You brace for the impact of his words, but when he opens his mouth, the only tone that comes out is lethally calm.

"What. The Hell did you just say to me, girl?" He asks. You gulp, fear beginning to creep into your mind.

Stand your ground, you can practically hear Azriel's voice in your mind. A shadow outside your father's window passes, only catching you off-guard for a moment before you meet his eyes again. Your hands ball into fists, and you take a steadying breath.

"This palace... won't be yours. For much longer." You say, hating how unconfident you sound. His anger turns to confusion, and you continue. You choose this moment, right now, to try and convince your father of a new strategy. He's always more malleable when angry, anyway.

"If you align yourself with that King... you're only damning yourself father, damning us all, and you know it-" You start, and he barks out a cruel laugh, shaking his head and looking down at his desk.

"Please -- don't pretend you know anything about this war-"

"I might not," You bite out. "But I do know how to help the humans. And aligning with a fae King who only intends to use you as a slave seems..." You trail off. He cocks an eyebrow.

"Go on, since you're so full of ideas today, go on. Let's hear how you really feel about my choices in protecting our lands." He smirks cruelly. You glare at him.

"It's idiotic father! It's rediculous, it's... it's not well-thought out, I'm trying to explain that I have something that could truly help you-"

"I think I've heard enough of your play-pretend theories for today. This kingdom is mine, and anyone who intends to take it will have to kill me for it." As if on cue, a group of your father's knights from his finest cavalry storms the room, grabbing your arms and halting you to your position. You flail your arms wildly, kicking beneath the thin fabric of your skirts.

"Get the Hell off me! Father what are you-"

"I don't know how you managed to get in here, or what you thought you were going to do with whatever you found," he snarls, drawing closer to you. "But when I find out who you sent to do your dirty work and what exactly you stole; believe me, no debt goes unpaid, little girl." You bare your teeth, pupils flaring in rage against the cruel King before you. He staggers back a step, looking you up and down in slight horror.

"Take her down to the service cellars." He commands, and metal scrapes against its own as the soldiers hoist you up and lead you from the room. Through your thrashing and hollering, you hear one last order from your father before the heavy doors swing shut.

"Do NOT let her out!"

✧･ﾟ: *

You can't help but pace once more, only this time, you're in the dirty, dank cellar. The dirt walls feel suffocating around you -- the only source of light are the torches on the walls and a small, barred window on the wall near the ceiling. Night has fallen, and you continue to walk back and forth, thinking hard about everything that you read, everything your father said to you.

He knew you'd been sneaking someone in. Did he know it was a fae male? Probably not, or else Azriel would surely be dead by now. Although perhaps this was part of a bigger scheme, to continue to draw the Shadowsinger practically to his doorstep every night, while he lay in wait...

Stop. You shook your head, not wanting to think of the possibility of anything happening to Azriel.

Azriel.

Your thoughts are flooded with images of his mossy, hazel eyes peering into yours in the moonlight. The way his tan skin looked, decorated with those swirling tattoos all over his massive biceps. His silky black hair, how it would feel to run your hands through it as he finally pulled you in close for a kiss-

STOP. There are more imoportant matters at hand right now. And... you're in a cell. You had to find some way out.

What was it, that got your father so angry to throw you down here in the first place? To lock you up for Gods know how long? Was it your backtalking? Surely not -- though Graysen had done it, and earned himself a slap to the face. Was it... your "scheming"? He practically called that child's play.

Although he really didn't like when you talked about his crown not being his after the war.

Your mind went back to the other night -- you and Azriel sat on your bed, poring over the pages you'd taken and you had picked up Graysen's birth certificate. When you looked closer at it, really close; it turns out, he's not first in line for your father's crown like everyone believed him to be.

You are.

The revelation had you feeling sick, not that you even wanted to rule such a kingdom on your own, and you couldn't believe you and your brother had not shared the cruel father you were forced to grow up with. Even worse -- that man was your true father, and you hoped to be nothing like him. Did Graysen know? Surely not. Did your father?

He had to. That would explain his outburst from earlier.

Gods, how you wished Azriel were here. The longer your feet create a path in the dirt, the more and more you think about his offer to bring you with him to his own home -- how lovely it would be to escape this Hellhole, this life of nothing in general; to see him whenever you like, and never live in fear of being with him.

You're pulled from your thoughts when you hear a commotion from down the hallway, a clammoring of what sounded like heavy metals and rustling from down the corridor. You jump toward the bars of your enclosure, sticking a hand through and calling out.

"Please! Someone please!" You call. Tendrils of green seep from beneath your palms, and you place them against the bars; only to fly back a moment later in pain. The planes of your hands feel as though they've been burnt off as red-hot searing spikes shoot through your skin. You shakily stare at them, the red skin prickling with the injury. Tears line your waterline, and you fight to reign them in. Through your pain-induced haze, you hear the commotion continue -- shouting and metal colliding down the corridor.

Until it all goes quiet. You make to stand, noticing thte burning in your palms already beginning to lessen with each passing minute. Approaching the barred entrance wearily, you look out, but see nothing except empty, black, nothingness. You let out a sigh of defeat, and turn to make way back into your prison.

The soft jangling of keys turns your attention back to the gate, and your eyes widen as the door swings open.

"Miss Julie?" You whisper shout. She holds a finger to her lips, motioning you forward.

"Come child -- be hushed, there are guards still lingering," she says. You stare at her incredulously as she pulls you in for an embrace, and when she releases you, her eyes are lined with tears.

"I can't believe he'd truly lock you away," She mutters, and you shake your head.

"Miss Julie, I can't thank you enough for coming to get me out." You whisper, as she takes your hand and begins leading you toward the service stairs.

"Oh, don't thank me dear; you can thank that handsome male of yours, do tell me his name?" She asks, smirking sidelong at you. You shoot her an incredulous look.

"What are you talking abou-"

"Pshhh, please," She tutts. "You could've just told me you had a lover, Y/N. A handsome one, at that." She giggles. Your cheeks burn red.

"Miss Julie, I don't know who you're-"

"Y/N," Azriel pants breathlessly, and you whip around to watch as he appears on the other side of the kitchen. You gasp, quickly sidestepping the soldiers on the floor of the room to get to him. You paw at his chest, his jacket, even caressing his face.

"Azriel its-" He chuckles, still fighting to catch his breath.

"Yes, its really me, Princess." He says. You can't help the tears that begin to spill over, his hands braced on his knees as he works to stand up straight. You don't hesitate to jump into his arms once he's at his full height; and he lets out a sigh of relief as he holds you tight against him.

"Y/N, are you alright?" He asks, setting you down gently. When your feet hit the dirt, you turn your gaze to his, nodding slightly as tears continue to fall. You can't help but notice the blood staining his left ear and trailing down his jaw; splatters covering the leathers he's wearing. You pull back to give him a once-over, but he takes your hands in his and pulls you flush against him once more, his right hand cradling the back of your head to his chest as the other wraps around your waist.

"I'm so sorry... I came as soon as I could." You look up at him, and he looks down to you with sorrow in his eyes. You can't help but smile at him, thanking the Gods for sending the one person you needed right now. You notice his eyes looking beyond you, and you pull back to turn to Miss Julie once more.

"So... you've... met, huh?" Miss Julie giggles, and Azriel nods.

"Unfortunate circumstances, but... I'm glad he appeared when he did, or those fools would've been on me in an instant." She gestures to the countless soldiers on the floor. You can only look between the two of them.

"Azriel, how did you -- nevermind." You say, shaking your head. He raises an eyebrow, dipping low so his face is closer to yours. You grin wildly at the closeness, never feeling happier or more relieved in your life. Miss Julie makes a point to silently walk toward the stairs and out of sight of the two of you.

"Of course you'd know, Spymaster." He grins, and you let out a small laugh. His grin widens into a full on smile, and his arm around your waist tightens as he pulls you onto your tippy-toes to finally press his lips to yours. You seem to melt into him, feeling like jelly in his hands. His other hand caresses your jaw, and that lovely, familiar feeling inside of your chest burns brighter and brighter-

"Agh-" You pull back, putting your hand over your heart as you feel the tightness of a golden lasso clenching around it. You stare wildly at Azriel, and his eyes widen.

"Y/N you're... do you feel it?" He asks, his hand over yours tenderly. You look down, and warmth floods your veins at the realization of what is happening. You mentally give the rope a pull, and Azriel's eyes flick back up towards yours. He smiles again, and you slide your hand along his jaw, stroking his cheek with your thumb.

"I'm just glad to finally see you smile, Shadowsinger." He kisses you with all the passion he has, hands roaming over your waist and playfully dipping lower to cup your ass in your large hands. You let out an involuntary groan, and he releases you, only to peer down at you with pure love and adoration.

The moment ends all too short, as a sharp cry rings out from your left. Moments later, you spot a crumpled mass on the floor at the bottom of the staircase.

"Miss Julie!" You shout, thundering over to her, eyes wide in horror as she clutches her side in agony. Two metal-clad knights descend the stairs, swords drawn as Azriel is at your side in an instant.

"Get behind me-" His arm his protectively in front of you, blue siphon ablaze as he yanks a blade from its sheath. All you want to do is fall to your knees and fix this; fix it all, save Miss Julie.

But you can't. Rage takes over your mind, more explosive than you've ever felt. More explosive than in the study. More explosive than when your father locked you in a cage. More explosive-

"NOT A CHANCE." Azriel has the good intention to get out of your way as you rear back, unleashing your pure, unfiltered power upon the soldier nearest you. It slamas into him in an instant, throwing him to the ground and paralyzing him all too quickly. Azriel takes his time, fighting with the other armed guard before plowing him to the floor, wings expertly tucked behind him to avoid taking any of the force.

Green flares erupt around you, growing in size with each passing minute. You look around, blinking and trying to clear your thoughts. You wanted to kill. Your father. His armies. That fae King for doing this to you. All of them should pay-

"Y/N." Azriel's sharp voice cuts through your thoughts like a knife, and you turn your attention to him. Miss Julie coughs, and you both rush to her.

"Y/N, we don't have a lot of time..."

"Can you fix this?" You ask, another tear streaming down your face as Miss Julie's eyes begin to darken. Azriel shakes his head gravely, and you heave before letting out a scream, shaking the walls and causing pans to hit the floor with the force. Miss Julie only takes your cheek in her hand softly.

"My sweet child," she whispers. You sob, tears falling onto her smock and staining it. "Don't cry-"

"Miss Julie you can't leave me!" You rasp, coughing as smoke begins to filter through the air. She gives you a small smile as her breathing begins to slow.

"I'll never leave you, my dear." She says. "But... you shouldn't leave him." Her eyes only widen an inch, and you glance to Azriel. You cry harder when you notice a tear falling from his face as well. He slips a hand over her heart, and she grasps it, smiling fondly.

"He is good, Y/N. He is a good... a good male..." she drifts off. You grit yoru teeth, grabbing her shoulders and throwing yourself onto her in a tight embrace. You continue to cry, and you feel Azriel's hand stroking your back comfortingly as he did those nights ago. You stay there for a few more minutes, the smoke burning your eyes as he tries his best to fan it away with his wings.

"Y/N... we have to go..." he says. You sniffle, allowing him to help you up as you press one last kiss to her cheek. He pulls you out the side door, flames nearing the spot you were just sitting. He continues to pull, hand in hand, through the chilly night air toward the thick forest at the back of your estate.

After a few long minutes of silence, he speaks first.

"Listen Princess... I know you have a kingdom here that you could have, but,"

"Take me with you." He stops, wide eyes blinking at you in shock.

"Are you sure?" He asks quietly. You look to him, nodding in confirmation and squeezing his hand tighter.

"Everything she said was right Azriel; I can't be who I am here, and I know you're a good male. You're..." you choke back another sob, and he slows his pace to wipe away a stray tear on your cheek. "You're a good male. I want to be somewhere I know I'll be safe. I know if I'm with you, I'm in good hands." He looks like he could fall to his knees at your words, and the corner of your lips tilts upward in a sad smile, shadows of smoke and emerald curling around the two of you.

Like calls to like, that's what they always say, right?

"Then allow me to show you the way to your new palace, Princess."

✧･ﾟ: *

#Spotify #azriel smut #azriel fanfic #azriel acotar #acowar #a court of mist and fury #a court of silver flames #a court of wings and ruin #acotar #a court of thorns and roses #lucien acotar #a court of frost and starlight #autumn court #night court #acotar fanfiction #acofas #acosf #azriel spymaster #azriel shadowsinger #azriel #acotar series

[urmultideadfandomperson]

To the Dearest Summoners...

It has been a wild ride in the ArTw server. Each and every Summoner were unique and fun to be with in very different ways. It was full of chaos and quirks, yet we embraced it all together, thus creating a big, happy family. I am happy to be one of the group, and I will forever cherish those moments.

I'd like to apologize for the unfortunate event that happened earlier. As much as I loved to stay longer, my interest in Arcana Twilight was long gone. I tried to hold on to everything, just to be with you. However, it slowly felt like I was forced to do it this way. I have always been honest of having the thoughts of leaving, and I am sad that it has turned into a reality.

Even if you don't believe me, I really tried to keep it together for the server. The ArTw server had its ups and downs, and we lost a couple of members in our journey as a family. I knew everybody was going through their own struggles, so I wanted to stay to help and support those who need it.

However—no matter how much I try—sometimes, a family is meant to fall apart.

The time of departure has arrived, and my senses were telling me that I needed to leave. Amber and I had talked about it, as well as Mint. I firstly decided of staying in the server, even if I was no longer into Arcana Twilight. Yet it just didn't feel right, and the choice of leaving became the only decision I had left.

It was a lot better than to ghost my dearest friends.

And now I have said my goodbyes, I am officially out of the ArTw server. And with this letter, I am officially out of the Arcana Twilight fandom. My Arcana Twilight era has come to an end.

Even so, that doesn't mean I cannot communicate with you anymore. I will still be actively posting in Tumblr, and I accept DMs in Discord. I will talk with you, but Arcana Twilight is no longer in the list of my interests.

I am glad to know all of you were understanding of my leave. None of you were toxic nor forceful towards my decision, and it hurts me further that I must go. Nevertheless, we are all aware that everything happens for a reason. You are deserving of my deepest respects.

And that means I will be thanking the Summoners I have known throughout my journey in the Arcana Twilight fandom.

@amber-of-tharaval, thank you for being the mother figure of the server. You were also an amazing friend to us all.

@marisssa1248, thank you for being a younger sister figure. You are a sweet and beautiful girl, always remember that.

@mumuscae, thank you for the most hilarious shitposts and memes you shared. I will always smile whenever I see them.

@mochalumii, thank you for being such a wholesome friend to us all. May God bless you all the time.

@gloriaglorheart, thank you for being an enthusiastic friend in the server. Your smiles and arts are very adorable, and I will look forward for more.

@pomegranateboba, thank you for being my first ArTw moot. Although we aren't very close, you were the first person I met that introduced me to ArTw content in Tumblr.

@sleepytwilight, thank you for being one of the people who introduced me to ArTw content in Tumblr. Your headcanons and arts will always remain to be amazing in my eyes.

@l-mint-l, thank you for helping me with my choice whether I should stay or leave. Although I couldn't stay for long, at least I was able to have some time with you all.

@cuddlybelphie, thank you for your posts and reblogs I often see in Tumblr. Your content made me closer with Arcana Twilight.

@mmpookie, thank for your adorable arts of the ArTw cast. You may or may not know me, but let me thank you for inspiring me in drawing.

@tophatmaker, thank you for your wonderful arts of the ArTw cast and the Summoners. Like the others, you have inspired me to improve my artworks better.

@f14loveisyou, thank you for being the first Filipino ArTw moot I met here in Tumblr. Although you are still fighting against your struggles, I wish you the best and I will always wait for your posts.

@leriblue, thank you for letting me draw your Summoner with Dahlia! You are a real sweetheart and I hope you continue to do more content.

@afluffypanda, thank you for your beautiful arts of your Summoner, Luna! She is one of my greatest inspirations why I continue to draw.

@honing-skills-for-the-end, thank you for the wonderful arts of various characters, both the ArTw cast and the Summoners. Your works will always put a smile on my lips.

@sspicat, thank you for your adorable artworks of the ArTw cast and the Summoners. Your arts remind me that it doesn't have to be the best by being entirely realistic. You taught me simple is enough.

@canon-vi, thank you for posting beautiful ArTw artworks in Tumblr. You are one of my inspirations how I kept going with Arcana Twilight in my heart.

@sillyest-cas69, thank you for being a good friend along with your cousin. We may not be very close, but you are very good company in the server.

@writerray, thank you for helping me out during my darkest days of struggles. You were a great mediator, and I hope I can still approach you when I need it.

@vivian-drawsart, thank you for posting adorable artworks of Vin and Arcturus together. Your cute works are one of my inspirations.

@guysimbluenow, thank you for scaring us all in a playful way. When we first met you in Tumblr, everybody in the server were panicking and screaming. Even so, I think you're a great person.

@redrubyz, thank you for making me smile when I discovered you were a new Summoner in the fandom. It is a pleasure to have you here, and I hope you will be one of the people that will keep the fandom alive.

@kaitlyn-pink, thank you for letting me join the ArTw server. Because of the server you once created, I met and made more friends. And that includes you.

To everybody I mentioned in this letter, thank you so much for being my friends. You were all amazing people, and I am thankful to meet each and every single one of you. If it wasn't for you, I have no idea where I would be.

The letter is now ending, and my last moments of enjoying Arcana Twilight has come to an end. Before I finally end, please remember our motto. Whether we are happy or sad, fine or struggling, let us all say it as one.

"We are in this together."

Thank you for everything, Summoners. I will never forget you. The server and the fandom will always have a place in my heart. For one last time, I shall say my outro.

Thank you for reading. This is Dahlia Rosenheim, signing off.

#arcana twilight #arcana twilight nation #artw #thank you summoners #farewell summoners #i love you all so much #it has been a wild ride #i will never forget #ilysm #my artw era has come to an end

[lovingeddiediaz]

9-1-1 rant. I have a lot of mixed feelings about this season and a lot of them aren’t good. Love this show, I’ve been watching live since season 3 but yikes that finale was a mess imo definitely one of my least favorites for sure. Very underwhelming. The whole season in general was wacky.

I’ve been feeling this way for at least 2 seasons now. I feel like 911 has been trying to fit these LARGE stories that they don’t have time for or are failing to make time for in these episodes. I get that this season was shortened, but if they can’t properly flush out a story in time, they should figure something else out instead of simplifying it and cutting out so many parts that it loses the build up and the emotion and captivation.

So much happens off screen that I feel like should be SHOWN. like we didn’t get to see Chris upset in the moment when he saw the Shannon lookalike, the scene cut out after he said mom. All we see is just him in his bed telling Eddie to go away later. We didn’t see the confrontation with Marisol and Eddie and her leaving, just an offhand comment of her not coming back later. We didn’t see the phone call that had Buck rushing over. We didnt get to see Eddie at his house alone after Chris leaves, just him leaving with his grandparents and boom, cut scene. We didn’t get to see hen or Chim at Bobby’s bedside.

We don’t get to see the aftermath of ANYTHING. The show keeps cutting the scenes just short and it has been pissing me off so much. They’re missing out on so much depth bc they’re doing too goddamn much at once and too quick.

All action, no build up or payoff. Just one thing after another. You don’t even have time to let your emotions settle and follow the characters bc it’s over so soon. You don’t get to worry and grieve alongside the characters. Bobby almost died and then boom he’s fine again like nothing happened. Like what am I supposed to be emotional over? He almost died in the desert just a couple episodes before that and then he was fine, no mention of it again.

Idk it seems like this show has been doing a lot of telling instead of showing when it comes to what are supposed to be emotionally charged scenes, like Buck saying how he was worried he was gonna lose Bobby but we didn’t really see that. All we got was a teary eye when Buck told Eddie he was in the hospital. Didn’t get to see the team actually save bathena in the beginning, so seeing them get the medals held no weight, like cool we’re told they saved them but we didn’t see shit. We didn’t get to see any of the madney wedding buildup like picking flower arrangements and a venue and dress/tuxedo shopping or anything like that, just assume off screen obviously XD

Buck’s sexuality arc being reduced to background noise also sucks. He kissed a man and then they said ok cool good enough moving on now. Not even bothering to deepen/develop his relationship with Tommy (are they even together or are they still going on dates?? No fuckin clue lmao), instead of a meaningful conversation between them in the finale it’s turned into a sexual joke like come ON, besides the first kiss and the second kiss that Buck initiates, their scenes are meaningless imo and that’s sad bc I was so excited for this storyline in the beginning but again, there’s nothing there. No substance.

And don’t even get me started on henren’s storyline. How many times are they gonna recycle the ‘person gets in the way of henren expanding their family’ bullshit before they finally get creative and think of something new? What is that, 3 times now? It’s just annoying at this point lmao I’m over it.

Why is Tim so against happy storylines? I know he said something along the lines of people wouldn’t watch if the characters were happy, but I think that’s bullshit. If you can’t captivate an audience with positive stories then I think you have a skill issue. Big drama and angst doesn’t equal good story telling and writing. Couldn’t even give madney a nice wedding like wtf.

Idk. I hope next season is thought out better.

#911 spoilers #911 on abc #911 abc #911 discourse #911 discussion #evan buckley #henrietta wilson #karen wilson #chimney han #eddie diaz #maddie han #henren #athena grant #bobby nash #buddie #bathena #madney

[starleska]

can we talk about the brilliant execution of Dot and Bubble's big reveal!!!

i am still absolutely gobsmacked by what a well-written episode Dot and Bubble is. startling, disarming, confrontational, and tremendously impactful. and holy shit i really really want to talk about how excellent the 'twist' (which really should've been obvious in retrospect 😭 was done):

as a white person it took me about ten minutes to clock that Lindy's friend group were a nightmare Aryan Tupperware Party collective: all white, all blue-eyed, and even Gothic Paul was dressed in blues and whites, with no black at all. but you know how i responded to that? mentally i went 'oh i'm sure it's nothing!' and shoved it aside. and i think it is exactly that insidious tendency to ignore, normalise, and validate overt and covert racism that the episode does such a tremendous job of tackling! everything in the episode gives us the lore we need to understand Lindy and the people of Finetime are white supremacists. Lindy's disgusted face and immediate blocking of The Doctor versus the amount of time she spends with Ruby. Lindy's shock at the Doctor and Ruby occupying the same room implying segregation on the Homeworld. Lindy calling the Doctor and Ruby 'criminals' not for being in the Bubble, but for breaking segregation. Lindy using Ricky September, a white influencer, to calm herself down not just from the monsters, but from interacting with a Black person. the tradwife aesthetic of the Finetime residents making a comeback in real-life right-wing racist circles. ugh, there's so much and it was all right in our faces!! yet many of us who aren't POC had the privilege of going through the episode baffled and uncomfortable, without being able to put a finger on why until the final bit of the episode. doesn't that tell us how quickly and easily we've all taken to ignoring both micro and macroaggressions? that we needed talk of being 'contaminated', improper use of the word 'voodoo', and Lindy straight up telling the Doctor that face-to-face contact was unacceptable, to understand they're white supremacists? oh my God 😭😭 what a genius play, to make Lindy so detestable from the start. she's an arrogant, vain, self-absorbed, moronic, uncompromising, traitorous bitch...and by layering that abhorrent personality and then giving us the reveal of her white supremacy, there is no argument even the most wishy-washy of people could have re: their awful views. Lindy and her friends are revolting racists who are so wrapped up in their own echo-chamber 'bubble' that they would genuinely rather be devoured alive than challenge their own narrow, bigoted views. i'm still blown away by the power of Ncuti's final scene. the disbelief, the frustration, the sadness and the fury...and yet the Doctor still tries to save them against all odds. i think the most common response to this episode was 'The Doctor should have gone all Time Lord Victorious on them', and you're right - he should have! but doing that would've affirmed the beliefs of the real-life racists viewers. the Doctor responding not with violence or righteous vengeance is a very deliberate writing choice: we are supposed to come away feeling revolted that he needed to behave that way, to almost be supplicant to the white supremacists. because that is the real-life view of so many people who don't even view themselves as racist: Black people need to 'perform' to a higher standard, than white people just to be considered worthy of respect. the more i watch it, the more i'm convinced this is the best episode of the whole season, and one of the best Doctor Who episodes we've ever had. we were taken off-guard by having an episode overtly about racism set in the future rather than the past, because our tendency is to assume equality is a natural consequence of becoming technologically advanced. this clearly isn't the case, and Dot and Bubble is a masterclass in confronting racism head-on rather than dancing around it for the comfort of white viewers. just. aaargh!!!! absolutely amazing 🔥🔥🔥

#talk about a much-needed slap in the face AND addressing the elephant in the room #this was an episode that did the Fifteenth Doctor so much justice and he deserves it all and more #i hope that in future episodes we also don't shy away from the Doctor's Blackness as a core aspect of his identity #and are able to discuss it with as much nuance and thought as this episode gave us 💖💖💖 #bro you know it's good when the whole episode just eviscerated my desire to talk about Susan Twist's appearance because it's so juicy omfg #doctor who spoilers #doctor who #dot and bubble #15th doctor #fifteenth doctor #the doctor #ruby sunday #lindy pepper-bean #ricky september #ncuti gatwa #millie gibson #callie cooke #tom rhys haries #starleskatalks #long post

[xoxochb]

okay lemme use my big brain and my smartie pants for this one:

imagine imagine uhh lifeguard percy jackson having to constantly save reader from drowning :O but its like fluffy and not angst drowing

and maybe he ends up teaching reader to swim :OoOoO

˗ˋ a moment of warm sun ˊ˗

warnings: mentions of drowning. there’s also a percabeth reference at the end because I love them with all my heart <3

pairing: percy jackson x fem reader

summary: read the request!

“you’ve really got to stop drowning” Percy scolds

“well I’m trying to learn how to swim so I won’t drown anymore, but I’m unfortunately unable to do so”

this is the fourth time percy has saved you from drowning

you always go to the beach hoping that you’ll magically be able to swim, but you always end up failing, falling into the water

currently, you’re sitting on the shore, coughing up the water you inhaled, percy sitting next to you making sure you’re alright

“then how about you only swim in the shallow waters then? simple solution to a not-so-simple problem” he suggests

“how am I supposed to learn anything if the water is shallow? It doesn’t work that way” you sigh

he thinks for a second, “maybe I could teach you”

“teach me? how to swim? you’re really confident if you think I’m capable of being taught how to swim” you laugh, but cut off short when you start chocking on water again

“suit yourself” he stands up, and then you do the same

“fine. you can help me, and if you can’t you owe me ten dollars” you smirk

“that’s not a fair deal” he crosses his arms

“fair to me” you shrug

- 🌊 -

“alright first things first: you need to know is how to float? do you know how to do that?” he inquired

“clearly not” you throw your arms up, gesturing to the water you’ve drowned in

he mutters something under his breath and then says, “alright then that’s what we’re starting with”

after an hour and a half of of swimming practice you had successfully learned how to float, and half-swim, but percy said it was good enough for now because you hadn’t drowned, and he did ask you to learn how to fully swim for the next time you visited the beach

and he would also never tell you that he actually enjoyed saving you all those times, and he felt a little sad that you weren’t going to drown anymore, but he kept this to himself because it didn’t sound very nice

you now were sitting on the beach with him, a ‘well deserved break after the hard work’ he said

“do you always teach people how to swim?” you ask

“only pretty girls” he looks at you

“oh yeah? and how many pretty girls have you taught how to swim?” you smirk, playing around, but in reality you want to scream, and the butterflies in your stomach are highly suggesting it

“only one”

you smile and stand up, you don’t want him to see the blush on your cheeks

“we are you going?” he asks

“to swim” you say walking to the water, and percy follows close behind

“never thought I’d hear you say that” he teases

you walk out to deeper water, using your new floating abilities

“you’re a show off” he laughs

“I’m just using the skills this pretty boy taught me” you mock his earlier words

“do you always let pretty boys teach you things?” he swims closer to you

“only one” you go underwater, and he mirrors your action

you smile when you see him in front of you, and without wasting another second, you cup his face and pull him in for a kiss

and it was pretty much the best underwater kiss of all time

#percy jackon and the olympians #pjo series #pjo fandom #percy jackson #pjo #pjo spoilers #percy series #pjo hoo toa #pjo show #pjo fanfic #pjo x reader #percy pjo #percy jackson x y/n #percy jackson x you #percy jackson x reader #xoxochb

[sgiandubh]

Anon rebelde

Siempre es bueno tener un tabloide para intentar apagar o desviar conversaciones incomodas (anon parque + Sam+ niño) porque Tumblr será un pozo infecto, como tienen a gala decir ciertas fans en X o en IG, pero las mismas que reniegan de el y el resto del fandom parecen estar muy bien informados de lo que se comenta aquí. La desgana que dejan ver esas fotos de JJ por parte de los dos protagonistas es tal que ni Mordor, P es una caricatura que no cuenta, compra este pescado por el mal olor que despide desde lejos. Cualquiera pensaría que teniendo en nómina a una prestigiosa agencia de representación, Sam no consiga que le diseñen una campaña pro novia un poco creíble, a no ser claro, que el mismo ponga su gesto serio y poco complaciente en la puesta en escena para deshacer el romanticismo de una cita amorosa. Después de ver la ultima aparición de el otro actor secundario en este vodevil tan desmejorado habría apostado a caballo ganador que Sam vuelve a coger las riendas de intentar minimizar los efectos de esa y otras posibles patadas al avispero. Ponerle ganas como cuando tiene cerca a su coestrella, tal vez podría mejorar la narrativa de sugar daddy, pero si el no quiere no hay nada más que nosotras podamos hacer para creernos la comedia, solo reírnos y esperar la próxima payasada.

Dear (returning) Anon Rebelde,

Perdón por la demora, amiga. Adelante, Sancho, con la traducción:

'It is always good to have a tabloid to try to turn off or divert uncomfortable conversations (anon park + Sam+ child) because Tumblr is an infected well, as certain fans on X or on IG are fond of saying, yet the same ones who deny him and the rest of the fandom seem to be very well informed about what is discussed here. The reluctance shown in these photos of JJ on the part of the two protagonists is such that not even Mordor (P is a caricature that does not count) is buying this fish, because of the bad smell it gives off from afar. Anyone would think that, albeit having a prestigious representation agency on the payroll, Sam would not be able to achieve a somewhat credible girlfriend campaign, unless it is clear, that he himself would put his serious and not very accommodating gesture into the staging to undo the romanticism of a love date. After seeing the last appearance of the other supporting actor in this much-improved vaudeville, I would have bet on the winning horse that Sam once again takes the reins of trying to minimize the effects of that and other possible kicks to the hornet's nest. Giving it a try, like when he has his co-star around, could perhaps improve the sugar daddy narrative, but if he doesn't want to, there's nothing else we can do to believe the comedy, just laugh and wait for the next antics.'

I have nothing to add, my dear. It's been a fucking long, busy day and my inbox is exploding. :) You have said it all.

I am almost sad for that Brazilian 23 year old journalist who thought she had the lucky global exclusive to a romantic pasta gangsta lunch in Mayfair. And who spent days (days!) trying to lecture us about how idiotic and toxic we were and about how we knew nothing at all. Post-teenager brat chutzpah on top. But perhaps many would have forgotten everything about her, already.

#anon #fandom #shitshow

[splatsvilles-fashionista]

I don’t know if you’re still doing the thing with the weapons, but Big Swig Roller?

Out of all the post-launch Main Weapons I am sad to say was probably my biggest disappointment. I just don't think "good at painting, weak at everything else" is a very healthy design space for the game in the long run (not that you didn't know that, with all my griping about Aerospray over the last year or so) and mediocre kits have meant that Big Swig just never found a very interesting niche, at least to me. If we get third kits then this is one of the first weapons I think should get one, and it should be something like Fizzy/Crab so it actually gets to feel powerful every once in a while.

Sea-Me-Nots / Aloha Shirt / Red FishFry Sandals

#splatoon 3 #outfit request #big swig roller