#thread: write sins not tragedies

[nagaficat]

Brendan Urie is Sick of I Write Sins Not Tragedies: Team 10 Gold Round

Naga must pity her, Deirdre thinks as she awakens and finds herself in a beautiful cathedral decorated in white roses as if for an extravagant wedding. She has been killed twice now at the hands of someone she cherishes. And twice now, she has woken up injured but otherwise alive.

Her dark robes have been replaced by pure white and glowing, golden light encircles her head. She does not know that this is how she is imagined after her death in Jugdral as well. She does not know she is revered as a saint in Verdane.

She does recognize the bird-like beast that crashes through the large stained glass window poised to fight. It is similar to the first enemy they were forced to fight. The others must recognize it as well as they are able to act quickly enough to prevent it from acting first.

"This must be it!" Deirdre raises her arms, palms up, and wills every ounce of magic in her blood to answer to her bidding. It will not be enough to simply focus on one of her friends. She must save them all. "If we can win this fight, this nightmare is sure to end!"

Deirdre 5/10 HP heals +1 HP with Bond! Deirdre 6/10 HP

Deirdre 6/10 HP heals the party with Fortify! Roll 1d20 = 15, +8 HP; Ephidel 9.5/10 HP, Larcei 10/10 HP, Leanne 10/10 HP, Lucina 10/10 HP

It could have been such a happy dream, she thinks as her healing magic finds each member of her party. To see Larcei standing at the altar fills her with as much happiness as seeing one of her own children in the same situation would.

@swiftscion @artificidel @exclted @allegreta

#congratulations to larcina on the marriage! #swiftscion #artificidel #exclted #allegreta #toaarena2022winter #| thread | brendan urie is sick of i write sins not tragedies

[cheesy09]

[CN] Kiro's Fateful Date

🌸 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date that hasn't been released on the EN server yet! 🌸

[WARNING: I feel like I should mention this here, but if you're not a fan of Romeo-Juliet type tragedies, then I would advise you not to read this date. Don't go in expecting a happy ending, there is no happiness to be found here. Only pain T-T]

[PART 1]

The sun forgives every sin;

The stars will tell everyone their secrets;

And the moon only sighs;

Those who think they can do anything,

Wait for the day when the sun will never come again,

You will see your truest self in the darkness.

[Flashback]

MC: Kiro, Pasha has accepted me as her student. From today on, I'm an astrologer!

MC: When you become king, I'll eliminate worries for you and the country.

Kiro and I lay side by side on the ground covered in Epiphyllum, looking up at the brilliant stars in the night sky.

Kiro: When that day comes, you'll also wear the crown and become my queen.

[End of flashback]

Pasha: How are the preparations for the new king's coronation ceremony going?

An old voice sounded behind me. I banished my thoughts and bowed down submissively.

MC: Everything is fine, teacher, but... the degree of Mars rising has changed.

[A/n: I don't really know much about astrology so forgive me if I misinterpret some of the things the characters are saying >"<]

I worriedly handed over the parchment that recorded the recent star movements.

I had looked through all the scrolls in the tower. The last time such a horoscope appeared was during the reign of the Levina Dynasty, 236 years ago. Since then, the most powerful kingdom on the continent has collapsed into seven, and they've been fighting for nearly a hundred years.

While observing my teacher, I carefully considered my words and expressed my opinions.

MC: I heard... the kingdom of Lys to the west has had some troubles with us recently;

MC: Several lords in the southeast and northwest of the country also refused to pay taxes on the grounds of a poor harvest, perhaps referring to these changes...

Pasha remained silent for a long time, straightening her haggard back slightly.

Pasha: MC, you entered the Star Tower five years ago to learn from me, and you can be said to posses very clear eyes. But what you are looking at is just a small patch of sky above your head.

She threw the parchment into the fireplace, where it gradually twisted under the firelight and emitted a pungent stench.

Pasha: Mars ascends the palace, Venus moves westward, Mercury sets again and again, and the disasters contained in the apocalypse will come true.

Pasha: War brings bloodshed, floods bring plague, and the earth will no longer protect the crops. After the famine, pale death will come in person to cut off the kingdom's future.

MC: ...!

MC: I'll write down the record and inform the king and the crown prince.

Pasha: No need. The path forward has been decided, and everything has its own reasons.

Pasha: A death can only be saved by another future.

I was stunned, unable to comprehend her intentions for a moment.

Pasha: You're an astrologer. You should see the thread of destiny yourself and guide it in the right direction.

After Pasha said that, she walked out of the gloom through the narrow door, leaving me alone to look at the crackling flames in the fireplace.

The starry sky outside the window was deep, shining with an obscure and mysterious light.

-

It wasn't until late at night that I finished handling the day's affairs and left the tower. There were no people along the way, only the shadows of trees swaying uneasily.

The face of the teacher in charge constantly appeared in my mind. What kind of future would it take to prevent such a terrible disaster?

Just as I was contemplating that question, a figure walking in the distance stopped me in my tracks.

His blonde hair, symbolic of the royal bloodline, shone under the moon, eclipsing everything else.

In the past, I was often enveloped in such brilliance, but ever since one winter day four years ago, he has drifted farther and farther away from me.

In the end, just a glance had turned into a luxury.

I didn't resent anything. After all, youthful ignorance was like an unripe fruit. Probably, as time went by, the former taste would be lost. It's just that I was stuck in it.

Thinking about dispelling my emotions, I saluted Kiro who was coming towards me.

MC: Good evening, Your Highness.

MC: All preparations for the coronation ceremony have been completed, please rest assured.

Kiro: Thank you for your hard work.

He nodded slightly, but did not stop, finally passing me by. Even though I tried hard not to look back, I still couldn't help but glance at him from the corner of my eye after a few seconds.

That back figure was already far away from me, almost melting into the night.

Just staying silently behind him seemed to be a good choice.

Although we could not fulfill that promise, I would guard the promise of this country as an astrologer.

I had confidence that I'd do it well.

MC: Good night, Your Highness.

I continued walking forward resolutely, not noticing the figure quietly looking back behind me, and the voice that was almost lost in the darkness.

Kiro: ...Good night.

-

Time passed day by day, and the preparations for the coronation ceremony finally came to an end.

MC: Finally some good sleep...

As soon as I tiredly got into bed, I suddenly remembered something and sat up at once.

MC: Oops, today's astrological records haven't been sent for storage yet!

This was one of the things that astrologers had to do every day. Even though it was late at night, I picked up the documents and hurried to the archives belonging to the astrologers.

-

I put the astrology chart into the file rack under the moonlight and was about to leave with a yawn when I heard the sound of a cane and words being exchanged in the corridor.

??: Pasha, I have been waiting for this day for twenty years. Lately, even those young girls can't put me to sleep.

Pasha: Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. Once the prince is crowned, the disaster predicted twenty years ago will come to an end, and the Kingdom of Kairos will definitely be peaceful in the future.

MC: ?!

While talking, the king and the teacher walked towards the study room next door, and I subconsciously followed them with slower steps.

Pasha: He will shoulder the glory of being king of a country and be buried under the night-blooming cereus, preventing disasters for the country and bringing happiness to his people.

King: Hmph, you were the one who determined the date of his birth down to the minute, forcing the queen to delay giving birth for two days and nights.

King: Putting aside the fact that the queen died as a result, can you really guarantee that this will help me avoid my fate?

The heavy sound of the astrologer's staff hitting the ground silenced the king's questioning, and the teacher's undeniable voice sounded clearly.

Pasha: I see all possibilities and judge all futures. Everything is woven and recorded by the trajectory of the stars. There is no doubt about it.

Pasha: The night is late, and the path to the tower is steep. Please retire to your bedchamber early, Your Majesty.

[PART 2]

The complex and explosive information continued to expand in my head, so that by the time I had returned to my senses, I had already returned to my room and unfolded the astrological chart of Kiro's birth date with trembling hands.

From ancient times to the present, astrologers have never been allowed to predict the fate of the royal family without permission - but they didn't care that much anymore.

MC: The house position of his Saturn... the Moon will collide with the 8th house after its shift...

MC: He'll go on an expedition in a month... everything is fine...

Suddenly, my hand tracing the star path stopped.

The trajectories of these planets overlapped perfectly, but there was no path that continued forward.

--He would die on the battlefield in the near future.

MC: No... impossible.

History clearly records that on the day Kiro was born, Pasha announced to the people that he would be long-lived and powerful, and would bring blessings to the country. The king also announced that he would be the only crown prince of the country.

I stared blankly at the "truth" in my hand and remembered the meaningful words of the teacher from before.

Did she mean sacrificing Kiro's life to change the country's future?

At that moment, a ray of morning light slipped into the afterglow - time moved forward another day.

I couldn't afford to waste time, so I grabbed my coat and rushed out.

-

When I arrived in front of Kiro's palace, the guard outside the door told me that he had gone out to the farmland in the western suburbs.

-

I quickly got on a carriage and rushed to the nearby area. I saw a group of people standing in the wheat field talking. Among them was a dazzling golden figure wearing a velvet white cloak. He stood upright and tall, showing no anger or authority.

Kiro: Jace, how was the harvest this year?

Jace: Even better than last year, Your Highness!

A middle-aged man wearing clean linen was smiling, touching the ears of wheat.

Jace: In the past few years, the church has exempted several taxes and provided us with good seeds and agricultural tools. How could the harvest be poor?

Kiro: What about the rules about segregating livestock and homes?

Jace: They're all being carried out. Strangely enough, after separating the two sides, its no longer easy for people to fall sick.

Kiro: That's good. Younger children must be sent to learn to read and write first according to the newly promulgated law.

Jace nodded and saluted Kiro solemnly.

Jace: The coronation ceremony of His Highness will be happening soon. We are not so lucky to be standing in queue, but we will definitely watch you from a distance and pray for you!

The warm light of the morning shone through the clouds and mist onto the earth, making those eyes a little softer.

Kiro exchanged a few words with the others, until the sound of farewell sounded, and I quickly ran to them from behind the haystack to salute.

Connor: Isn't this MC? Earl Heaney's daughter? I heard that you seemed to be studying astrology at the tower these past few years. It's been so long since I've seen you.

Duke Connor on the side stroked his white beard and smiled cheerfully.

MC: It's been a long time, Duke Connor. Is everything okay with you and your family?

Connor: The territory has recently had a good harvest and there hasn't been any signs of war, which is certainly good.

Connor: But this isn't a place for ladies to hang out. Could it be that you've come to see your 'brother' Kiro?

MC: .......

Connor: Haha, it seems I was right. I remember when you were a child, whenever you entered the royal city, you'd stick to your 'brother' Kiro and not leave.

Connor: But Kiro also looked forward to your arrival every day at that time, and even safeguarded the delicious food in the kitchen, saying that he would leave it all for you.

Kiro: Duke, this isn't the pace to reminisce. Let's talk about it later.

Kiro stopped Duke Connor's rambling voice and looked at me again.

Kiro: Why are you here?

MC: Your Highness, I have something important to convey to you.

As soon I finished speaking, Duke Connor gave him a "look what I said" look.

Kiro: Diles, send the Duke back first.

-

We walked deeper into the wheat field, and the rustling of wheat ears continued with the wind.

Kiro: Tell me, what's the matter?

For a while, I didn't know how to talk about it, and it felt like the words were stuck in my throat for several moments. All I could do was suppress my emotions and look into his eyes.

The youthfulness and playfulness of the past had long since faded from those calm eyes, but his innate pride remained unchanged.

But if he knew that his life was carefully planned out...

My nose felt sore, and the world instantly blurred. I quickly turned my head away, but I heard his rare concern.

Kiro: Why are you crying?

MC: I...

He didn't urge or comfort me. He just waited with quiet alienation.

The silence and thin air began to press towards me, gradually turning into an emotion called "burden". I knew I had to stop being indecisive, so I quickly wiped away my tears and told him everything I heard last night.

After a brief silence, Kiro just closed his eyes.

Kiro: I see.

Kiro: Just go ahead. I'll take care of it.

I was stunned for a moment, unable to understand his reaction.

MC: Your Highness, you know Pasha has never said anything wrong...

Kiro: You've done what you should do. You can go.

MC: Kiro, don't you understand yet?! No matter what you do now, you will probably die that day!

The emotions that had been bottled up for a long time completely exploded. I grabbed his sleeve regardless of etiquette and raised my voice.

Kiro: So you want me to be like my father and find someone to die for me? Or should I just be a coward and hide in my room and never come out?

His calm voice was like a sharp needle poking me.

MC: ...I'll go find Pasha.

I wanted to leave, but he pulled me back.

Kiro: Pasha?

Kiro: Have you ever thought that now that you've touched this secret, you'll only get into trouble?

Kiro: When the time comes, she could accuse you of secretly predicting the fate of the royal family. That would be enough to kill you.

He also seemed a little out of control, not as calm as usual, his tone urgent with a trace of panic.

MC: But I can't just watch you die!

MC: I said that I would eliminate all worries for you and the country, and it is my duty to make you worry-free for the rest of your life.

Kiro's pupils suddenly contracted, and my wrists hurt from his grip. Those eyes that were trying to restrain themselves wandered back and forth on me for a long time before they cruelly looked at me.

Kiro: Duty?

Kiro: Okay, then I will answer you as the Crown Prince.

Kiro: You don't have to worry about these things, you just have to do your own thing.

MC: .....

Those unsaid words were instantly annihilated in my heart, turning into a puddle of calm. Finally, I gently broke away from his hand and bowed quietly.

MC: [blushing] As you wish, Your Highness.

MC: I have nothing else to report, so I'll leave.

I said, turned around and left, walking faster and faster.

Like Kiro said, I really wanted to do what I could do.

Since I'm an astrologer, let me help you get rid of this fate.

[PART 3]

From the day we parted on bad terms, I stayed in the observatory, reading older texts and comparing the stars all night long.

MC: No, not right...

With the help of a weak oil lamp, my index finger moved carefully between the pages of the book. As the search deepened, my doubts increased sharply.

The stars clearly indicated that the Kingdom of Lys would encounter a major flood in the summer of 796, causing countless casualties. But in fact, it was just a river whose banks burst, and no one was injured.

In 483, when Mars fell into the sixth house, there was supposed to be an unforeseen disaster. However, the wars in history originated from the active aggression of the Kingdom of Hesse, which was clearly not an unexpected disaster.

MC: ...How come.

My attitude towards astrology had always been to listen to whatever the teacher said. But when details that I had never noticed before were laid out, I discovered that many horoscopes did not match the corresponding history.

At that moment, something seemed to have opened a small gap in my long-held belief.

I moved a new pile of old texts from the table and continued to read.

As time went by, the wick burned out, and the increasingly dark room made one unable to help but doze off.

When that cluster of light extinguished and went out, my consciousness fell into darkness as well.

-

[Flashback]

MC: Kiro, look what nice things I brought you~

I walked into the study with a smile, only to find that there was no one there except for the soft window screen swaying in the wind.

MC: Where is he? Obviously Diles said you were here...

Kiro: Here--

A vague sound came from the window. I stepped forward curiously and opened the curtains, and a piece of beautiful scenery came into view.

Clusters of flowers on the lawn swelled with buds, giving back to the spring that had just arrived in the most gorgeous colors.

Kiro: Do you like it? I planted it specially for you.

A golden head popped out from the side and lay face to face with me on the window sill.

Kiro: Because someone's become a night owl since they started staying in the Star Tower. Sleeping during the day and looking at the stars at night.

Kiro: In order for you to not miss out on other good scenery, I could only "bring" it to you personally.

Seeing that he deliberately kept a straight face, my smile grew bigger and bigger, and I quickly kissed him on the cheek.

MC: I like it. I'll come to see it everyday from now on!

MC: But if your teacher finds out, he'll complain to the king again.

Kiro: Then let's sue them. I obviously got nearly full marks in every subject, but I still don't know what Mr. Lawley is dissatisfied with.

MC: Because you're the future king.

MC: But I also don't agree with Mr. Lawley's approach, so didn't I bring you something nice?

I took out a gold necklace from my pocket, and the violin pendant shone in the sun.

Not long ago, after Mr. Lawley complained, the king had smashed his beloved violin.

MC: From now on, no one can break your violin.

Kiro: ......

Kiro looked at the necklace blankly. Something seemed to be surging in his eyes.

In the end, he didn't say anything, and together with the sun, he kissed my forehead.

??: Miss MC, the coronation ceremony is about to begin.

[End of flashback]

A quick knock on the door made me open my eyes in confusion, and a dazzling light shone in front of my eyes like a dream.

I think... the memories of the past might only be hidden in dreams at night.

-

This day was a day of national celeberation.

The royal city was filled with the sweet aroma of wine, and gorgeous flowers bloomed freely on the city walls, as if indicating some kind of hope. As the bell tower struck an ear-splitting sound, I and the other ministers turned around and bowed our heads.

At the end of the hall, the bronze door opened heavily, and a figure wrapped in the golden sun walked in slowly.

He was wearing a snow-white cloak and holding a holy night flower in his hand. It had been embroidered on the ever-waving flags since the founding of the country.

Everything had its limit. Only Kairos would last forever.

Kiro came straight to the archbishop, put his sword on the ground and nodded slightly. The archbishop raised his hands holding the crown and solemnly put it on for the new king.

Archbishop: God bless you and your dynasty. May your light shine on future generations.

Everything was extremely quiet under the dome. In this soul-stirring solemnity, Kiro raised his chin and looked at everyone under the throne.

Kiro: I bring today's glory to the country and to everyone in my land.

Kiro: I will work with you in the long years to come to safeguard the dignity and freedom of the kingdom.

Kiro: I also share peace and hope with you.

Ministers: Long live the king! Long live the king!

Every courtier and soldier in the hall raised their arms and sent their most sincere blessings. But the louder the support, the more mixed my emotions became.

Because after learning the truth, I couldn't celebrate for him at all.

As if tacitly, those blue eyes looked at me from afar among the crowd.

Kiro: .....

MC: .....

In the end, everything fell into silence. I raised my skirt and saluted him, then silently left with everyone behind my back.

After the ceremony, Kiro asked everyone to leave, leaving one person sitting on the throne for a long time. The dim candle flame flickered on the copper candlestick, unable to drive the coldness and darkness away.

In the endless silence, Kiro took off the crown on his head.

The golden brilliance circulated under the moonlight, but it could not shake off the back of that figure in his heart that was deviating from everything.

From knowing the so-called trajectory of fate to subconsciously staying away.

He never believed in fate. But even if there was only a slight possibility...

He didn't want her to be sad and have her suffer alone for the rest of her life as well.

But the set time was approaching. As long as he stepped over the stairs, maybe he could hold her hand without any burden.

Just like in countless nights and dreams.

As if he was restraining something, he closed his eyes forcefully.

I want to bring myself together into this darkness.

[PART 4]

Time flew by after Kiro's coronation.

Within the kingdom, laws were spread throughout the country following the herald's announcement, building a new and stable foundation for the kingdom.

But soon, after a heavy rain swept over the west, there was no more rain in the country. The king of Leith began to claim he inherited the bloodline of the Levina dynasty, and there seemed to be clouds of war emerging.

Fate seemed to be slipping towards its destined trajectory.

Citizen A: Oh my God, is there going to be a war?

Citizen B: Don't worry, His Majesty asked us to build the cellar two years ago.

Citizen C: Fortunately, His Majesty asked us to switch to new cold-resistant crops, otherwise I don't know what we would have done in the future!

Citizen A: That's true. I heard that the floods in the south did not cause much damage.

Citizen B: He is a good king and will definitely keep us safe and sound.

Of course he was a good king.

From food, clothing, housing and transportation to domestic affairs and diplomacy, he has done so many things to make the kingdom prosperous. Could all of this really be reduced to a footnote to his mortal fate?

I turned towards the tower and climbed up to the astrology room on the top floor.

The starry sky was so high and far away, indicating that destiny would never allow mortals to get close.

But I knew better now, that it was not the gods that filled everyone's stomachs and let them live in peace.

It was Kiro.

Pasha: You're here.

Pasha didn't look at me. She held the astrological stick with both hands and looked out the window.

MC: Teacher, I recently discover that many recorded horoscopes do not match their corresponding history.

MC: Does that mean that fate is not determined?

Pasha: It seems that you are looking forward to something and are trying to find a glimmer of hope from it.

MC: ....I just think it's better to grasp the present than predict the future.

Pasha: MC, destiny is always right.

Pasha: A dying baby was miraculously saved. Do you think it was human will or destiny?

MC: Of course it was human will. If no one saved the baby, there was no way a miracle would have happened.

Pasha: No, it was destiny that allowed the man to save the baby.

MC: [angry] ......

Perhaps it was because the gap in my heart was getting wider and wider. I tremblingly clenched my fists and asked loudly.

MC: What you mean is that everything humans do is permitted by destiny? Those likes, those hates, and those desires are not real; they're all arranged by God?

Pasha: That's right. The histories you see that are inconsistent with the stars can only mean one thing.

Pasha: Destiny is never wrong. Only people are wrong.

-

It was all so ridiculous.

After running back to my room, I threw all the astrology books I believed in into the fireplace. Seeing them being swallowed up by the flames made me feel inexplicably happy.

If everything really was arranged by destiny, how could He (God) allow me to do disobedient things?

Suddenly enlightened, I ignored the burning fireplace and ran to find Kiro. I wanted to tell him all of this. I wanted to tell him that the so-called fate had no meaning at all.

They were just shackles that people put on themselves.

-

But I didn't see him. The door of the meeting hall remained closed, and anxious conversations kept coming from inside.

It seemed like a war was about to begin.

Guard: Miss MC, this matter is confidential. It is not convenient for you to stay here, so please leave first.

MC: [visibly disappointed] ...I see.

-

In the next few days, I hid in the corner of my room like a drowned dog, watching the sun and moon change outside the window.

I denied astrology, I was rejected, and I didn't know what else to do.

??: Attention! In the early hours of tonight, the king will lead 10,000 soldiers to fight against the Kingdom of Lys!

A childish voice came from outside the window, accompanied by fast footsteps passing through the street.

Slumped against the wall, I immediately woke up, pushed the door open and rushed out.

Even if he refused to see me, I still wanted to take a look at him from a distance.

The winding city walls were filled with soldiers gathered everywhere, wearing armor and sharpening their swords, their faces devoid of fear. I kept running forward, constantly weaving though the crowded queues.

But the end of the city wall was so far away that every step closer had me being pushed back by the crowd, making it impossible to reach.

MC: Kiro...

MC: Kiro...

Just when I thought I was about to miss everything, a force suddenly pulled me into a dark passage.

In the almost pitch-black darkness, I couldn't see the person behind me. I only felt that every part of me was tightly wrapped in ice-like armor.

He continued to increase his strength, as if he wanted to embed me into his flesh and blood. His turbulent breath tore away all the calm masks of the past. It was so strange, but it made me feel extra sure.

MC: Kiro...

No one responded from behind me. Only this extraordinarily stubborn hug remained, as if it was just a thought he left to himself.

Just like how he retreated alone these years, he never gave in.

But at this moment, I could no longer bear to have him like this.

MC: .....

I began to stubbornly turn around, but no matter how hard I struggled, I was still relentlessly imprisoned in his arms. I opened my eyes, finding it difficult to prevent the heat from rolling down.

MC: Kiro....

MC: Can you let me win just once... just once.

Kiro: .....

The person behind me stopped breathing, and I finally had an opportunity to turn around and hug him tightly.

MC: Kiro, listen to me... I'm not here to say goodbye to you.

MC: You will come back alive.

MC: You will leave those fates behind.

MC: And I will--

Those unspoken words were instantly swallowed up by his breath.

Everything seemed to be in chaos, shaking up my entire world, the only exception being those pair of eyes that were hidden under the helmet which grew clearer and clearer.

Our chaotic and turbulent breathing intertwined with our temperatures, and the smell of rust between our teeth mixed together and melted into our bloodstreams.

The extraordinarily deep temperature seemed to reach from the tips of my fingers to the tip of my heart, and even the depths of my soul trembled.

This was our first kiss.

I tasted the slightly salty and fishy smell, and my entire body seemed to be filled with his breath. I couldn't help but covetously desire to leave my traces on him.

I want you to come back. Come back to me.

Kiro: MC...

Kiro: MC...

He hoarsely cried out my name, sounding like a voice breaking from the deepest part of his soul.

Kiro: I will definitely come back to you.

It was like he was talking to me, and also himself.

Kiro: [trembling voice] Don't forget me.

At that moment, with the so-called fate approaching, I seemed to finally see him clearly, all his fears and struggles.

Kiro: Don't ever forget me...

He made no promises about the future and left no promises. He has always pushed me away, yet he said such words at this moment.

MC: You... bad, willful, self-righteous, stubborn...

His face was extremely blurry, and there was a bitter smile between his lips and teeth.

Kiro: I am a bad, willful, self-righteous and stubborn person.

Kiro: So remember me. Remember me forever.

Kiro: Until you close your eyes for the last time, think of me... all of me.

It wasn't until there was a horn blast that I suddenly opened my eyes and stared at him with great reluctance.

MC: .....

I tried to suppress my trembling fingertips and touched his armor for final confirmation.

MC: Was this armor made by the best smiths? Is it the hardest material in the world?

Kiro: .....

After his eyes carefully traced my face, he spoke hoarsely.

Kiro: Mm, it's the best. And my sword is also the sharpest.

Kiro: I can easily slit the enemy's throat.

I hugged him hard for the last time and showed him a confident smile.

MC: Then go ahead. I will await your triumphant return in the Epiphyllum field.

-

Reflections from enemy armor obscured the horizon.

Kiro calmly stared ahead, waiting for his army to get into formation.

Flags were flying beside him, and the epiphyllum embroidered with gold thread seemed to spread its petals with the cold wind, blooming proudly on the battlefield.

The last row of soldiers stood still, and both side stood still. The only sound in the vast plain, was the howling of the wind. The war horse also smelled the undercurrent of tension in the silent air, and moved restlessly in its spot.

Kiro patted his mount's neck and rode his horse to the front of the army line.

Kiro: People of the Kingdom of Kairos, my brothers.

He looked at the soldiers who followed him on the expedition, one by one.

They had their own coat of arms on their chests, their eyes were solemn and determined, their weapons were sharp and the their armor was well-equipped.

Kiro: We crossed mountains and rivers and travelled all the way here...

Kiro: Like you, I miss my hometown and fear the enemy's edge.

Kiro raised a fearless smile and raised his voice higher.

Kiro: But for our kingdom, our homeland, and for the loved ones waiting for us.

He turned towards the enemy formation, drew his sword and pointed it straight into the sky.

Kiro: We will triumph!

The iron hooves roared like thunder, and the soldiers' shouts shook the earth, charging forward with their king who they devoted all their loyalty to.

-

Like before, I knelt on the field of night-flowers and prayed for my king.

These days had been as long as one year after another, and my feelings had gradually changed from worry at the beginning to determination.

Only the more determined you are, the more you are the nemesis of fate.

MC: Kiro, you must come back safely.

Suddenly, a rustling sound behind me drowned out the murmurs, and a warm liquid with a pungent smell dripped onto the side of my face.

I immediately opened my eyes and looked to my side, facing a clear blue.

Kiro's crown hung crookedly, and his clothes were stained with large patches of dark brown. The finely woven clothes were damaged, and that beautiful face was stained with dried blood.

The blood on his cloak dripped down drop by drop, dyeing the white petals of the epiphyllum, leaving a dazzling red. I hugged him tightly as he knelt down next to me, letting tears blur my vision.

Even so haggard, he still came back.

Kiro: I came back safely, why are you crying again?

His embrace was warm and strong, and his heartbeat kept coming from that embracing chest.

MC: I know, I'm just happy...

MC: You transcended destiny and came back...

Kiro: I can finally stay with you forever.

Kiro: I can finally make up for the wrong things I did to you in an honest way.

He distanced himself slightly away from me and held my face in his hands.

Kiro: MC, let me ask you, are you still willing to be my queen?

MC: ....!

Seeing that I didn't respond immediately, his brows furrowed as if unsure, and that patch of blue was laced with apology.

Kiro: Actually, long before you told me the truth, I secretly learned some astrology. So I knew...

MC: Of course, I do.

I didn't let him continue and hugged him tightly.

Things in the past were no longer important. The prolonged pain and sorrow had finally turned into an old wine after the dust had settled.

MC: But let's agree first that you'll compensate me twice as much later.

Kiro: Of course, I must obey the Queen's advice.

He smiled and rolled his eyes, the ring between his fingers glimmering in the moonlight.

Glimmering?

I was stunned.

Something extremely fast shot through the sky with a cold light.

The air was stagnant for a moment, but soon I felt a tickling warmth on my legs, turning cold with the breeze and sliding down my skin.

There was clearly a smile on Kiro's lips, and the dazzling blood pouring out made his face even paler.

There was another sharp sound.

Kiro's center of gravity suddenly became unstable and he fell forward onto me.

And on his back were two feather arrows, still trembling slightly.

Kiro: [EXTREMELY pained voice] MC... I...

The sound of arrows came again and penetrated into his chest, stopping the words that had not yet been spoken.

The person who nocked the arrow in the distance was the archery teacher who he had grown up with.

MC: Why...

Another arrow came again at a speed that my eyes couldn't catch and pierced straight through his abdomen.

Kiro seemed to want to say something, but the blood rising in his throat only made him make a vague sound.

Not far away, a group of guards who had stayed in the city came forward, drawing their swords and pointing them at the king that brought them victory.

MC: Why?! He obviously won!!

MC: How dare you betray him?!

I hugged Kiro, whose body was bleeding all over and screamed hysterically.

Soldier: Master Pasha ordered that only through the king's sacrifice could the kingdom last for a long time.

The hand of his personal guard holding the sword trembled, but he spat out words like poisonous snakes at me, one by one.

Soldier: Master Pasha is the chief astrologer and is never wrong. This is all... a fate that has been determined for a long time...

MC: Fate?

I was so furious that I laughed, staring at the soldiers who were able to triumph because of Kiro, who could have relatives and live in peace because of Kiro.

MC: Between the uncertain stars in the sky, and the people you spend every day with, which one determines your fate?!

Kiro: MC....

In my arms, Kiro suddenly touched my shoulder and motioned for me to help him sit up.

MC: Don't move... I-I won't let anything happen to you.

I shook my head, my vision becoming increasingly blurry on his increasingly dyed robe.

I didn't know what to do. I could only deceive him like I deceived myself.

Kiro: MC.

He called me softly again, and wiped away my tears with great effort.

Kiro: Of course I'll be fine, I just want to say something to them.

Kiro: After all, today is a day worth celebrating, and as king, I want to give them some rewards.

MC: .....

Under his serious gaze, I could only help him straighten up in silence.

Kiro: Diles... you've done a great job over the years.

He looked at the leading soldier with a smile. Even though his face was pale and sweaty, the pride in his eyes did not fade.

Kiro: You'll continue to do just as well in the future, because your horoscope tells me...

Kiro: You'll enjoy endless wealth, you will have endless heirs, and finally, you will die without any pain at the age of seventy-nine.

As if he didn't expect Kiro to say this, Diles and the others looked at each other in shock.

Diles: Your Majesty... what does that mean?

Kiro ignored him and turned his gaze to another soldier.

Kiro: Naya, you are different.

Kiro: Astrology says that you have less than three years left and will die in an accident on the day before the autumn harvest.

Naya: ....!

Kiro: And Hiken... no matter how hard you try, you are destined to lose the one you love.

Kiro: Morty, you will become the future captain of the guard, and then all the soldiers in the royal city will be under your control.

Kiro smiled gently, but his eyes were colder than ever. He seemed to be a God descending to the human world, passing judgement on everyone present with every breath.

It also planted a seed called "determined" in their hearts.

From now on, let these people anticipate, panic, and doubt their so-called predetermined fate...

Live your life.

Kiro: Don't you believe in fate?

Kiro: Let's see then, if everything goes as fate has ordained.

As if they didn't want him to continue talking, a rain of arrows came falling from the sky. I subconsciously turned to block him, and there were several muffled sounds hitting the flesh and blood in my waist and abdomen.

But I couldn't feel any pain; only the burning hatred that was about to tear me apart.

I hugged Kiro tightly and screamed, giving everyone a vicious glare.

MC: Very good... Just continue believing then, but I won't.

MC: Because fate means nothing to me. All I know is that without Kiro, I won't be able to live happily.

As I said that, I took out the flint and dagger from my waist and sneered disdainfully.

MC: If you don't want to die, then get out of here.

MC: Otherwise, you won't be able to enjoy your last pitiful fate.

I hit them together hard, igniting a flame among the epiphyllums.

In an instant, the flames quickly engulfed everything around us, and at the same time, covered up those disgusting figures. I looked at Kiro's surprised face and tried my best to show my brightest smile.

MC: I hid it from you, Kiro... Actually, I was prepared for the worst as early as the beginning. Because Pasha wanted to bury you under the night-blooming cereus to prevent disasters for the country.

MC: But I would never allow you to be used like that.

MC: So I was thinking at the time, that if this day really came, I would burn all the epiphyllums in this area.

Kiro: Then my queen really made a good decision. Why did I never think of that?

Listening to his weak teasing, I continued to smile, laid him flat on the ground filled with night-flowers, and hugged him tightly.

MC: Kiro, you should have told me that you learned astrology so that we could have shared some of my work.

Kiro: It was actually a surprise that I wanted to give you a long time ago.

Kiro: It's a pity that that I never had time to give it to you...

Unknowingly, we seemed to be back to when we were young again. Laying together carefree on the epiphyllum field, whispering ordinary things.

MC: It doesn't matter. I know now, and it's too late. Look, the stars are so beautiful today.

MC: By the way, what's the name of your brightest one?

Kiro: It's called MC.

I couldn't help laughing, and also crying.

Because there was nothing directly above, only endless flames and smoke.

MC: I'm serious.

Kiro: It's called MC.

Kiro: Because no star can compare to you.

MC: Then let's just consider your answer correct~

I wanted to say something more, but I felt my energy continuously draining, almost sapping me dry.

Time seemed to be running out.

MC: Kiro...

I tried my best to lean on his chest, closed my eyes, and tried my best to listen to his heartbeat.

MC: Could you talk to me a little longer? I still have a lot of things I haven't said to you...

Kiro: Then let's plan the wedding, shall we?

Kiro: After all, you've already agreed to my proposal, and everything has only just begun.

MC: I want a lot of sunflowers, because I've read in a book before that there was a flower in the north that was as bright as the sun.

MC: And it likes to bloom towards the sun... But it doesn't matter if you don't have them. Having you is enough for me.

Kiro: How can that be? And leave alone the sunflower?

Kiro: Whatever you want, I can bring it to you.

MC: That...

My consciousness gradually dulled, but his heart was still beating clearly in my ears.

This gave me peace of mind.

I felt so at ease that I wanted to regard this moment as eternity.

-

The girl showed no response and no breathing. Only her body still retained some warmth from the fire that was on the verge of spreading. But as if he didn't want to let this warmth slip away from his arms, Kiro used his last strength to hug the girl and kissed her forehead again and again.

Kiro: [in an extremely tired, but extremely affectionate voice] I know that you were afraid that I'd be lonely; that I'd be buried here and face the endless darkness alone.

Kiro: But I still hoped that you could look at the sun every day and smell the fragrance of every flower for me...

Kiro: But now, this isn't so bad.

Kiro: It's just that it seems that what I owe you will now never be repaid.

Kiro paused as he spoke. After a moment, he kissed her forehead preciously and tenderly for the last time and smiled gently.

Kiro: I don't expect anything, as long as I can see you in our next life.

Kiro: If I turn into an animal, I would stay at your feet day and night.

Kiro: If I were a flower, I would bloom only for you.

Kiro: But if I unfortunately turn into a rock, I'd cross mountains and ridges to come to you.

Kiro: Of course, it would be best if I become a human being. So that I can hug you, kiss you, and love you forever and ever.

Kiro's voice became weaker and weaker, and finally turned into a sigh that disappeared in the wind.

Kiro: I promise you.

Kiro closed his eyes quietly, but saw a bright light like daylight surrounding him.

What it was, he didn't know.

But the sun would not rise again tomorrow.

Translation Masterlist: here

CheesyTalks: Okay, so... I caved. I couldn't help myself. This date was too sad and beautiful for me not to do a quick translation (I just wished I could add more screenshots, but tumblr won't let me insert more than 30 ss smh). This may not have been a happy date, but it was definitely a satisfying one.

That being said, I do want to make a quick comment on the writing of this date: from the subtle but poignant foreshadowing at the beginning (the expert use of atmosphere and cold and dark imagery to set the tone for the date), to the final death scene at the end, all of it was very well handled. Not to mention the world building and symbolism. PG has always done a good job at handling angst and this one was no exception. (ALSO, THE SUBTLE PARELLELS TO THE MAIN STORY HAD ME DYING INSIDE)

#mlqc #mlqc cn #mlqc spoilers #mlqc kiro #MY HEART HAS SHATTERED INTO A MILLION PIECES #I WILL NEVER RECOVER. I AM IN SO MUCH PAIN I - இ௰இ #THE QUALITY OF THE WRITING THO *PUNCHES AIR* SO SO BEAUTIFUUUL

[seraphtrevs]

Any recommendation for Lacho fanfic, the last one I've read was "What comes next?" I really love it. I know your fanfictions as well

Thanks a lot I need more Lacho fics before finishing mine as well

What Comes Next is absolutely phenomenal (and I owe feedback on it. 😅) Incredible prose, exquisite characterization, smoking hot sex - everyone, go read it if you haven't!

All of the rest of my recs are going to be from the early days of Lacho - I kind of fell off reading fic. I have a million things bookmarked that I will get to reading eventually!

I think you should start at the very beginning with Bait, the first Lacho fic! This author has some of the sexiest Lacho fics out there - The Catharsis series and A Collar By Any Other Name are two of my favorites

By A Thread is a bleak look into Nacho's psyche - beautiful, moody writing that leaves you haunted

Burmese Boxing is an intricate and subtle character study of Nacho - very deftly done with lines that still live in my head

If you longed for a post-Something Unforgivable confrontation, awake has got you covered. All of this author's fics are very introspective and poetic. pyrophile is another favorite - a character study focusing on Lalo this time

And Yet Here We Are is a softer, more hopeful look at Lacho for when you need a break from tragedy. nos separamos a medianoche contains Lacho so I can rec it here, although the focus is more on Lalo/Ciro - it's so sweet and melancholy, and there are descriptions so beautiful they take my breath away

The Manitoba series makes me crazy with how good it is. The writing is on another level. If you ever dreamed of a future with Lalo and Nacho trying and failing to kill each other over the years, this one is for you

The Learning Curve is an absolute delight - I love the look into Lalo's past and what shaped him into the fascinating maniac we all know and love. There's a really fun Amber and Jo interlude too! I also enjoy this author's Rumors and Hearsay series, featuring Tuco - an extremely underused character

for love, i will handle your sins involves a post-Something Unforgivable Lacho reunion that is somehow both sinister and sweet at the same time - very sexy and very satisfying

The Spider and the Fly has the very fun premise of Lalo and Nacho as vampire and slayer in 1890s Mexico. The Salamancas are so vampire coded, and it's fun to see these guys in a completely different context

#really the whole tag is full of gold #this is an extremely talented fandom #lacho #better call saul #asks #lalo salamanca #nacho varga

[unclejackworthing]

[I'm honestly so pleased with Jack's character arc in my storyline with @illsuiteddowner . Unfortunately, part of it is on discord, part of it isn't written yet, and I wouldn't expect you all to read every thread I write anyway.

But, Jack is serial killing because he's convinced that it's his calling to bring justice to Wellington Wells. He's punishing the townspeople for having a hand in sending all the children away decades ago and for actively trying to forget all about their actions ever since.

It's satisfying at first. But, not forever. Eventually doing the same thing over and over again loses its thrill; each kill is just the same as the last and, no matter how many guilty people he kills, there's always so many more. It never makes a dent, it never has any real effect on anything. As time goes on, as the plague keeps spreading and the food keeps running scarce, it becomes clear that it truly doesn't even matter- everyone is going to die in a few weeks or months, with or without Jack's hand in the matter.

Then he comes across Arthur. He almost becomes the next victim, but then Jack realizes who he is. One of only two children who didn't make it onto the train. One of only two people in town who aren't guilty of their shared sin. (Though, he has opinions on Sally and how her pharmaceuticals have aided everyone in forgetting what they've done. (Opinions that I do not share, please know that I'm not the type of fandom person to vilify female characters, I'd die for her.)) He's figured out a way to break the cycle. He doesn't need to kill the whole town; it won't bring the children back. He needs to make sure that the only innocent they didn't betray makes it out of Wellington Wells alive.

So, he takes it upon himself to essentially be Arthur's bodyguard (in addition to finding him food and safe places to sleep) during his last week or so in Wellington Wells as he tries to cross the bridges and find a way out.

Jack’s intention is for this to be the end of his story. To finally right the decades old wrong by saving Arthur and sending him on his way to a better life, and then to finally rest. He's not planning to live past his last day with Arthur; he'd rather die on his own terms and with a sense of satisfaction for his one good deed than to starve to death with everyone else. But, he did have a hand in the tragedy. He does think he deserves death just like all the others.

But, he lets a bit too much slip to Arthur about his plans, sending Arthur away with all his worldly belongings just in case they may come in handy for him, since Jack won't be needing them anymore. He talks about the future like it's not going to come and Arthur, with safety finally in sight, no longer so wrapped up in the adrenaline of survival, realizes he's never asked Jack what his own plans are. Doesn't he want to escape too? Arthur’s beginning to realize that he doesn't. So, Arthur, being Arthur, offers him an out. He's not going to beg. Jack is dangerous, a killer- but he's been doing kind things for Arthur at his own detriment ever since they met. He's not beyond redemption. He gives Jack the option of leaving with him. Jack is convinced.]

#suicidal ideation tw / #headcanons;

[bitegore]

Hey I see you've been talking to that honestlyvan guy, what's up with them?

ugh THAT guy. they're really kind of, uh.... :/

they really like transformers: prime but they mostly talk about the autobots, which is pretty homophobic

they like romantic stories sometimes, but a lot of the ones they seem to write and post about are tragedies. further proof of homophobia if you ask me. and then they DON'T want a tragic romance for WHEELJACK and BULKHEAD of all the characters. This is practically a hate crime.

they uncritically reblog furry stuff sometimes, which is obviously a HARD NO smh

it says in their pinned post that they made an extension for ao3, proving not only do they use ao3 (doesn't even need to be said) but also they know how to code. Everyone knows that means they're a gross bro dude kind of person. Normal people don't code.

"writes meta" but posts it primarily on Dreamwidth. Very suspicious behavior as everyone knows the only reason anyone would ever use dreamwidth is because they're a freak, normal people use twitter and post long threads that get broken up every 2 sentences as god intended

they also talk about more things in their meta (which i found by CLEVERLY infiltrating their publically-shared Dreamwidth posts, an arduous task) like infrastructure and armor/weapon construction than characters kissing, which is of course the only acceptable form of meta. they actually care about things like architecture and how the transformers' bodies work, which is VERY gross and problematic

they wrote a bunch of fics, which COULD be acceptable on its own but guys, get a load of this. Introduction to Cybertronian biomechanics (don't click on it, stay safe babes) is a FAKE SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE about TRANSFORMERS BIOLOGY. IT'S MORE META. AND IT'S NOT EVEN ABOUT KISSING. or to pick a slightly less egregious one THIS fic Skyline that i was TRICKED!!!! into reading is SUPPOSEDLY a shipfic about Optimus and Bulkhead (smh, more autobots) but it keeps talking about ARCHITECTURE!!! DISGUSTING!!!!

apparently they like Xenoblade Chronicles. I don't know what that is so that means it's probably PROBLEMATIC. also apparently characters have big swords, which as we all know is a metaphor for sex and therefore EVIL

likes hammers. self explanatory

obviously the reason this is all relevant is VERY obvious to all of you, but because i know some of you can't read i'll spell it out for you <3 i'm harboring suspicions that this honestlyvan person may not be all that they seem... in fact, it seems almost likely that they... use TOOLS in REAL LIFE and MAKE THINGS. as we all know, the act of creation is limited to god only and it is a sin for mortal hands to try and create that which did not already exist, and thus being a machinist is an insult to god and man. everyone block them and stay safe smh

#red replies #honestlyvan #callout ask game

[sins-of-the-sea]

angst: 🤔 😶

The Angst Meme

🤔: Any angst tropes you’re not really fond of?

//I've answered this one before here, so this is a different answer.

I am not a fan of angst that has no impact on the character or story. I'm not saying that we are not allowed to have a character that overcame angst and healed from it by the time we meet them (in fact, I find those fascinating!), what I am saying is that the angst seemed to have been tacked onto a character for the sake of…. well, angst. And then nothing being done with it beyond just angst. I mostly see this in fanfiction circles where fanfic writers tack on a tragic backstory to a character that canonically does not display a behavior indicative of that past. Now I am not AGAINST giving tragic backstories to canon characters at all (I'm guilty of it myself). It's when they transfer this habit to their ORIGINAL CHARACTERS--muses the writers have 100% full control of writing--that drives me up the wall. And this is a habit I am seeing even today.

On a related tangent, I am not fond of "conga line" trauma in angst stories. Even with the Seven I try to mellow out the number of tragedies they encounter; though then again, I have the excuse that they are centuries old (so it is possible to have enough tragedy to last several generations and lifetimes). The closest I got possibly to this is how Josep had some tragic event every summer for several years straight, but even then this DOES have a narrative purpose: it forms how he becomes the Sin of Wrath. Otherwise, I abide by a rule when I write angst for my characters regardless of story: If my character can't heal or overcome this, then I am not writing it. This rule is also how I draw the line when interacting with other muses in the amount of angst I am willing to tolerate. But I cannot tell you often this line is crossed anyway.

😶: Got any future thread angst hidden up your sleeve?

You think Guy's misery is going to end after Sinfully Valentining 2?

I kid no I'm not maybe. But besides Guy, my brain lately has been focused on the other members of the Crew. At last, we are getting stories for the Razing of Guangzhou (Canton), the biggest tragic event not only to affect the Seven, but all of Devil's Eye. For this blog alone there is angst in Josep and Abena losing Arcelia, Rashid losing a chance at another happy life of settling with friends and family, Phoebus failing people once again as a healer, Ruixiong losing his first real connections with China in a century, and Giovanni dealing with the guilt of being the reason the Razing happened at all. Guy losing his love in San-Gwong is only one out of seven major angst plotlines when it came to Guangzhou. And that's just this blog.

As far as threads go with other RPers, well, interacting with the Seven will always be inherently angsty. The Master makes sure his thralls are miserable, and he reminds them of their misery deliberately as to make sure they also remember why they came to him to begin with. Moments of happiness distract the Seven, so he will yank their chains to bring them back to reality. And of course, the Master wants to 'break' his thralls like one would 'break' a horse. The more unquestionably compliant, the better.

Some examples, for fun:

Annalise ( @dragonskxn ) finding out Giovanni is the reason behind the Razing of Guangzhou

Sacara ( @thelittlestdemon ) or Taryn ( @rxdhairxdsirxns ) finding out that Phoebus ran out on his bride Deborah Conrad at the altar in 1721.

Cayla/Orquidia ( @orphanedwolfandfriends ) finding out about Arcelia and she is almost being unwittingly treated like a "replacement goldfish" for Josep and Abena

Marshmallow ( @rosegoldkingdom ) being the object of Guy's affections, except Guy is scared he'll hurt him or lose him like he lost San-Gwong.

Rashid and Ruixiong don't have future angsty thread ideas, as Rashid already went through a truckload and I'm honestly really really really really REALLY ready to move on by now, whereas Ruixiong has yet to have a focus relationship that isn't built on antagonism or comedy.

#[OOC] #[Meme]

[gealach-in-a-misty-world]

The goddesses and gods have restored King Tel’s magic. His power over dirt, wind, fire, and rain is keener than ever. Still, his people are in danger. The sorcery of the antlered ones has also returned to his exiled brother, Lag. Hungry for power and revenge, Lag will cross any moral boundary to defeat his older brother—and make him suffer in the process. He’ll exploit Tel’s faith, decency, and generous heart to win the advantage in a war that will spill blood over the heart of Feigh. He’ll terrorize unarmed innocents. He’ll use sinful magic to transform the man Tel loves into a weapon. To end the bloodshed and secure the kingdom, Tel must ready himself to meet his brother and lover on the battlefield and eliminate the threat to peace and justice, whatever the cost. To do that, he’ll need to realize the final confrontation is really with the darkness, tragedy, and grief of his own past. The last war must be won inside himself.

"Fortune has surrounded me with good people".

Gideon E. Wood's The Stagsblood Brother sticks the landing with this incredible conclusion to the Stagsblood Trilogy, where all the loose threads are tied up and the final confrontation between Tel and his sadistic brother takes center place, pushing Tel beyond his limit. He will have to battle with himself and with his own, and make hard decisions that might haunt him; but he might find healing in the end.

This book deals with loss, grief, memory, and healing in such a poignant way. Tel, a recovering alcoholic, must do his best to avoid the lure of the drink when all things seem to go wrong; he has help, from his friends and loved ones, as he battles both himself and the dangers that threaten to tear not only his kingdom apart, but the known world, the cluster of six kingdoms inhabited by different races of humanity who hail from the gods and goddesses. The gods of the Stagsblood Trilogy are very real and passionate and meddle in the human affairs, appearing to Tel ever since the first book; the prophecy that was at the center of the second book takes here new meaning, for an extraordinary and quiet ending where wounds begin to heal and peace might be found.

The world-building keeps being effective and rich, painting the history of the nations, the struggles of the smallfolk, and the powers that control the world in all their irrationality. Lag is a perfect antagonist because he's truly unhinged, stopping at nothing in his quest for blood purity. He maimes and corrupts and revels with childlike delight in the destruction of his own kingdom, showing no remorse and a chilling amorality. The mental torture he subjects his own brother to is painful and difficult to read.

The author course-corrects all the things that prevented the previous books from being truly excellent (especially the second book, that was a step down from the quality of the first while still narrating a beautiful journey of healing), adjusting the way he recounts events and the pace of the book. The heart of his writing, the emotional passages that tear at the reader, he keeps and strengthens, creating a novel that doesn't shy away from the ugly in order to make it beautiful, that uses language at times very crude but always precise. This is a journey in three books, and he doesn't forget what started Tel's emotional journey towards healing, but always keeps it at the forefront of the reader's mind. The decision to tear Tel apart so cruelly in the first novel, followed by the way he begins to give Tel peace in the second, might make some readers decide to pull away, but I admire his decision to show that life doesn't end after a terrible tragedy.

Unfortunately this book is still saddled with numerous typos and small mistakes that take aback and stop the flow of reading, although it's less than in the first two books. But the strength of the narration is so intense that I'm inclined to forgive the lack of proper editing. The author also has a list of trigger warnings on his website, that I urge to check before embarking on this fulfilling but dark journey.

The Stagsblood Brother is a beautiful exploration of grief and healing.

✨ 4.5 stars

.

📚📚📚 IF YOU LOVE THIS, YOU MIGHT LIKE:

* All the Hidden Paths, by Foz Meadows

for: trauma, healing

[You can find more of my reviews about queer speculative fiction on my blog MISTY WORLD]

#gideon e. wood #the stagsblood brother #lgbtq books #queer lit #queer books #queer #sff #queer sff #sff books #books #book reviews #reading #gealach reads #gealach writes

[damianskryptonite]

disrespect

a few days ago, i had wanted to write about something else

i wanted to write about how our rift is tearing me apart

no, thats not quite right

i wanted to talk about how i bear the consequences of your actions

go after her, and im the one unable to look at my own reflection

stop the negativity by blocking it out, simple as that

but a wall is only as strong as who built it

how long til my brakes give out?

how long til the water overruns the dam?

how long until these rails cant stop me from driving off the cliff?

how long til this is bigger than me?

how long until this eats me alive?

today, while cleaning my shoes, it came to me

disrespect

the only common thread in this chapter has been your disrespect.

it took only that

it took only remembering

and suddenly i didnt need any brakes

no dam was needed, the water was still

the cliff is wide and i drive steady, safely

it took that much for you to mean nothing to me

it took that much for bittersweet tragedies to taste like venom

yet i go back to square one

you dont matter, no, not anymore

but think of how your hostility reflects on me

the broken shards of your display sinking into my skin

and im the fool that let you

your disrespect turns into mine, as i stood by and let you plant poison in my veins

and i am angry with myself, wishing id laced more venom into my words

been more hostile

who am i but the disrespect youve shown me?

i am a lot of things, i have a purpose

but being back here, with you, reduces me to your disrespect

i wish to fight, spit your worst back to you, because youve trapped me as something smaller than me

how long until i stop paying the consequences for your mistakes?

how long until this debt is paid, to whom i owe?

when your daughter comes home crying for who broke her, will you look into her eyes and see mine?

how long until your name sounds only like your name and not what youve done?

why must i be the one to bear the weight of your sins?

when will it be enough?

i can feel the brakes give out

i see a flood beneath

i plead with god

'let the rails save me, or let me crash into the depths of the unknown, and never let me out. '

[lindajenni]

feb 25

not my will but Thine be done "then I said, “behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me." psa 40:7 i know that was written specifically about Jesus, but do you know each one of our lives are also written somewhere as well?  "Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.  and in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them." psa 139:16 do you really believe that?  then let me tell you a little story. ------- a visitor at a school for the deaf and dumb was writing questions on the blackboard for the children.  by and by he wrote this sentence: “why has God made me to hear and speak, and made you deaf and dumb?” the awful sentence fell upon the little ones like a fierce blow in the face.  they sat palsied before that dreadful “why?”  and then a little girl arose. her lip was trembling.  her eyes were swimming with tears.  straight to the board she walked, and, picking up the crayon, wrote with firm hand these precious words: “even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight!” ------- what a reply!  it reaches up and lays hold of an eternal truth upon which the maturest believer as well as the youngest child of God may alike securely rest — the truth that God is your Father. do you mean that?  do you really and fully believe that?  when you do, then your dove of faith will no longer wander in weary unrest, but will settle down forever in its eternal resting place of peace.  that of “your Father's will!” are you familiar with this scripture?  "now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.  and His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”  Jesus answered, “neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him." john 9:1-3 you might well say, "but God wasn't glorified until he was healed," and that would be true in that instance.  and certainly we should pray for healing because the devil is hard at work against God's elect.  but just because the outcome is not what WE want, doesn't mean God doesn't have a plan.  who can tell what plans God has for another life?  it isn't always necessary healing that adds glory to His name.  fanny crosby became blinded for life and in spite of it all she write innumerable beautiful hymns along with following acts bringing comfort and aid to the multitude of lives she touched.  she once wrote this lyric: "oh, what a happy soul i am,although i cannot see! i am resolved that in this worldcontented i will be" can you be contented with what God has allowed in your life?  "can you still believe that a day comes for all of us, however far off it may be, when we shall understand; when these tragedies, that now blacken and darken the very air of heaven for us, will sink into their places in a scheme so august, so magnificent, so joyful, that we shall laugh for wonder and delight. — arthur christopher bacon no chance hath brought this ill to me; ’tis God’s own hand, so let it be, He seeth what i cannot see. there is a need-be for each pain, and He one day will make it plain that earthly loss is heavenly gain. like as a piece of tapestry viewed from the back appears to be naught but threads tangled hopelessly; but in the front a picture fair rewards the worker for his care, proving his skill and patience rare. Thou art the Workman, i the frame. Lord, for the glory of Thy Name, perfect Thine image on the same. what does the Holy Spirit speak to us through paul?  "i have learned in whatever state i am, to be content: i know how to be abased, and i know how to abound.  everywhere and in all things i have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." phil 4:11-23  Father God, i cry along with a multitude of others, "not my will but Thine be done."  to God be all the glory!

#prayer #faith #rapture #jesus #jesus is coming

[emitranslyrics]

Reincarnation

If in another time I had been a god I would have long long ago been far rid of the pre-rigged gambling match we call life I would burn it it in the night like some long forgotten trash I’d discard present and past

Even when we are aware we play the fool we keep on dancing and prancing all as one like new puppets strung

Tied down by regrets and undying resentment

I’ll never be anyone, I’m one of many tragedies

Society’s just a shitty shitstorm, grass is greener on the other side

This mundanity is the modern day

Turning away, the lowly kitten cried

"Aah, aaah if I cannot fly, I'll just have to tear the sun out from the sky!"

Everyone in the world prays to their petty gods

When they realise they can’t overcome the odds

Of a life where they’re held up by a thread;

A tightrope walk from birth to the end

And so I say my farewell to every cursed land

In this universe where devils deal your hand 

And I will... and I will... be... reborn... Once again

REINCARNATION

That world before the light

Was once when fate was easy

But now we face the night

And turn away quite freely

If I should take his words I’d use these as my weapon:

What kind of smile will you wear the day you beckon me to heaven?

Anxiety, truancy and self-harm, wonderings of a lonely child’s heart

Whores and waste, paranoia’s commonplace

all of the sin that justifies a life of pain

I can’t take anymore, bury me in every dream I can’t afford

And so U beg, please tell me how to create a god

In a time where faith’s equivalent to fraud

Is it fair for me to walk in the shoes

Of he who writes mankind’s every rule

But in the end, no matter how hard you’re kneading clay

Using filthy hands will leave you with the same

So you will... so you will... be... reborn... Once again

REINCARNATION

Where the gallows make every blade turn blind

When your heart breaks you’re bound to lose your mind

Why and how did we make this rotten time

I NEVER WISHED IT TO BE THIS WAY AT ALL

Ah, ah turn it all to dust

What’s the point in tears when nothing is enough?

Everyone in the world prays to their petty gods

When they realise they can’t overcome the odds

Screaming prayers out like sheep in the night

But now the voice that answers is mine

No matter what, I know I will give this world an end

Who are you to tell me I'm playing pretend?

Let it all... let it all... be... reborn... Once again

REINCARNATION

#mafumafu #2020 #jpop

[madrabbitwords]

Confessions of an Empress, Confessions (10.5)

Last installment for this guys, at least for right now. Just a side plot kind of unexplored in Year 10 so they're included here cuz I really wanted to write them out but felt they'd be disruptive actually placed into the story.

The room smells of rot. Disgraced Lady Hope lays in the warped wooden bed, what she’s earned through her own hand. Her eyes are fever-bright, and they flash to mine as soon as my feet pass the door’s threshold.

“You came,” she rasps. I nod, curious despite myself, and she croaks out a laugh like a stone being pulled up from her chest. “Good,” she says. “I must confess upon you a great sin.” And here I pause, because there has been one mystery, one tragedy, I had never resigned myself to leaving untouched. Even now I search for answers. 

“Speak,” I command her, fully Empress now to her Disgraced Lady, and she laughs again. She can barely move, she is so starved and weak from her bout of illness, the bout she is losing even as we speak, but still she raises one hand to point at me. 

“Your son,” she hisses, and her pink eyes have not left mine yet. “I know how he died. I know who killed him, and why.” My world is centered here. If the illness takes her before I learn the truth, I will raise her from the dead myself to pry it from her cold lips. 

“Who?” I ask her, the word so quiet there is not even breath ghosting over my lips alongside it. She is cackling now, and hacking, the passage of air too tough for her throat to handle. 

“Consort Addyson and myself,” she admits. “She was pregnant then, and just a Lady. I was already imprisoned, pregnant again soon enough, and desperately wanting to be free. She swore to me that she’d work to become Empress once you’d been removed and soon I’d be free. She’s noble blood, you see, and closer than my own connections to the Genovian court from prison. We were good friends, then, and I believed her. I listened to her. So we plotted together, to end your life and secure her throne and my freedom. I supplied the assassin, a gift from my father, and she provided maps of your palace provided by spies within your own home.” She pauses for breath, struggling, and I am frozen in my chair. I am listening to her story, and it makes sense. 

She continues. “The assassin arrived to an open window. He believed the room to be yours, but they had moved your rooms around due to the illness going around. Prince Percival was there instead. He would have left the boy untouched, but something woke the child, and he was seen. He’d been told to leave no witnesses to identify himself, and in his panic he took action to prevent word of his presence or appearance from ever reaching yours or the Emperor’s ears. He thought to continue on to find you and finish the contract, but the estate was bustling to care for the ill, and he couldn’t continue on without potentially being seen, so he left.” She pauses again, and here I am confused. Confessing to an assassination on your deathbed, even a mistaken and failed one, is not common. There must be a reason she has told me this story, some thread to tie it to something else that is more important to her.

Then she tells it. The part of the story she called me here so desperately to hear. 

“That is the version that I was told, that is.” She cackles again, high and merciless, mocking and crude. “Addyson, that snake, that witch, she had lied to me from the start. She used me and left me to rot without a second word.

“Here is the truth: Addyson planned your son’s murder, aiming to take out the first heir to the throne, and my sons were to go to her care as a backup plan. She was pregnant then, hoping for a boy, and decided it would be her best chance to lessen the competition. She told me pretty stories of talking the Emperor into releasing me, into letting me see my boys again, and all the while she secured maps to your son’s rooms. All the while she plotted desperately to cause a miscarriage in the other ladies and myself and you. Here is the truth: Percival was the intended target all along, and it is the truth that the assassin could not get to you without risking being spotted. It is the truth that he saw his swift death coming. It is the truth that I assisted in his murder. But know this as well: never did I wish for a child’s death.”

She is still staring into my eyes. I have not moved, have not blinked, have not stopped imagining my sick little boy waking in the dark, seeing movement, calling out for his mother or sisters and instead getting a knife to the chest. How long did he lay there, trying to cry for help? Did he feel pain at all, or was it swift enough to flow blood fast enough that he felt nothing beyond the initial wound?

Tears drip from my eyes, pain given form. My hands find their way to her cheeks, holding her in place as I stand over her, Death Ever Looming for her alone.

“You have earned mercy for telling me this,” I tell her. “You have earned your natural death, quick as it is coming. I will not touch you now.” I tell her this and she smiles. It is a death-smile, a last stretch of lip-skin over teeth and bone, and she laughs once more, shrill and sharp like the call of a raven, and then she is dead in my hands, still smiling that ghastly smile. 

I release her face; step back from the bedside. I am removed from myself, somewhere far away, and I call to the pitiful number of servants this once-princess now commanded, “Your mistress has succumbed to her illness,” in a voice deep and cold. They come to take her away, and I am there, standing in the dark of her threadbare rooms as the last of her candles burns out. 

I am thinking, thinking, thinking, and soon enough I settle on a course of action. And never will I tell a living soul what I decide upon. That is for me, Addyson, and the Goddesses themselves to know, may They warm her soul in the fires of the Pits of Wrath, Envy, and Pride for all eternity. 

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

I care for Consort Addyson as she falls deeper into her fever and confusion. I set about nursing her back to health, but she is too far to help. In the end the servants and I are merely doing our best to keep her comfortable while she dies, and we all know it. She does not know it simply because she is not conscious enough. 

I nurse her until she is given her last gasp of energy by the Goddesses. I have written my brother for a gift, a bird that speaks on command and mimics voices. He has, after careful consideration of why I might want such a thing, vowed to ask me no questions and thus know nothing if questioned by any law enforcement. 

Her eyes open. They settle on me, and she opens her mouth to speak, to cry out, to demand to know the reason for my visit; I have slapped a hand over her lips and a dagger to her throat before she can make a squeak. The bird flaps in its cage, unsettled, but quiets soon enough.

“Hello, Addyson.” I am smiling. There is a rush of some vast, monstrous anger inside of me that has curdled to hate in time, like boiling stone deep in a volcano. This is a poison that could harm everyone else I love, and so I will pour it into her and let it die with her. But first I will relish the heat of it, the joy of ending her and watching her blood pool into the sheets as they did on Percival’s bed. I will allow myself the solace of liking the way light looks as it leaves her eyes, and then it will be over, and I will return to my daughters and tell my brother to make time for a visit to Percival’s urn in the family plot. 

She gives a muffled gasp into my fingers. I wonder if she can breathe like this, watching her wiggle like a fish and try to avoid grasping at my hands with the dagger so close to her neck-veins. 

“Do you remember my son, Addyson? Percival, such a brilliant light in my world. So bright, snuffed out so quickly?” She stares into my eyes. I do not blink; let her watch death approach slowly, gracefully. Let her know its name; let it whisper in her mind before it takes her. “He was beautiful. And you. You took him from me in his own bed. So too will I take from you the only thing you truly love: yourself.”

And the dagger moves from her neck, while I am still staring into her eyes that are widening, and it is in her heart in an unblinking moment, and she jerks once and is dead. 

As I am cleaning and erasing signs I was involved in this (but not so much as to rouse suspicions on why there’d be no sign of my presence at all if servants had taken notice of my visit), there is a knock at the door. A servant maid’s voice calls out, “My lady?” 

I pause my cleaning to quietly nudge the bird’s cage. It flutters a moment, clearly having been asleep for a bit, before Addyson’s voice rings out sharply. “Leave me be!” It says with her acid tones, and the servant maid squeaks and scampers off down the hall. 

“Good bird,” I tell it quietly, and feed it a treat Tod had given me for just such an occasion, and then I am gone from Addyson’s palace and the bird is being sent back to Tod’s estate, and I will take my rest as it comes, as it will come. Knowing my son’s killer has been dealt with has greatly eased my burden, and knowing I have done it myself erases fear of a job half-done, which is doubly satisfying. 

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

HIS MAJESTY: Consort Addyson was found dead this morning in her bed.

EMPRESS: Wasn’t she quite ill? Your wives and heirs are dropping like flies from this latest sickness. It isn’t surprising she was among the unlucky.

HIS MAJESTY: The unlucky? [PAUSE] She was stabbed, my lady. She was not merely unlucky.

EMPRESS: So you are concerned with her killer, then? You are questioning me. I see.

HIS MAJESTY: Answer me honestly, Gwendolyn. Did you order her killed? Your alibi is secured, despite the facts of the servants saying you’d visited her the night before her body was found.

[THERE IS A PAUSE WHILE THE EMPRESS LAUGHS. THE EMPEROR APPEARS TO BE RAPIDLY LOSING PATIENCE.]

EMPRESS: No. I didn’t order her killed. I don’t even know the first place you’d look for her killer. 

HIS MAJESTY: And yet, her death does not seem to have saddened you. 

EMPRESS: Only it struck me, how similar it seems to another death! Did you not think the same yourself? How…intriguing it is, to be so curiously reminded of another tragedy, closer to my heart than this.

HIS MAJESTY: Gwendolyn. Percival’s killer was never found. Have you discovered something?

EMPRESS: What could I possibly have discovered? It has been years since the death of my beloved son. Any evidence has died by now. No. His killer was never caught. And now I feel doubts they ever will be.

[PAUSE AS THEY SIT IN GRIEVING SILENCE. THE EMPEROR TURNS TO LEAVE.]

EMPRESS: Lynwood. Did you truly never find any evidence at all?

HIS MAJESTY [NOT TURNING AROUND]: He was my son as well, Gwendolyn. My child. The first boy of my line. I - [PAUSE AS THE EMPEROR HOLDS BACK EMOTION]. I held him when he was first born, you realize? I held him after you had slept. He had my eyes, and the grip he held on my fingers was stronger than anything I’d ever encountered before. I loved him, and he was lost to me. 

HIS MAJESTY: No, Gwendolyn. There was nothing. I found nothing then, thus [THE EMPEROR TURNS BACK TO THE EMPRESS ABRUPTLY] I will find nothing now.

#coae #writing #madrabbitwords

[untowonder-gone]

❝  To an orphan who had nothing to her name besides a tale to call her own  :  Mary Ann, Marianne,  you are not real.  You cannot replace  ▇▇▇. ❞

MIDNIGHT CITY  :  WELCOME TO THE TRAGIC KINGDOM  note  :  interactions within this verse may contain references to physical & emotional abuse & religious trauma.  this verse is made to cover all general fantasy interactions.

birth name  Mary Ann Marianne Liddle nickname  Regret gender  cis-female orientation  bisexual with a masculine preference ethnicity  Welsh date of birth  November 4  ( Scorpio ) age  18 - 24

kin  deceased  and / or  unreachable caretakers  Our Sacred Lady of Ashes,  asylum given by Sister Mayweather ( Sister Heron )  and Mother Bernadette ( Mother Crow ) significant other  unmarried,  no partner to be found close friends  the charming Brother Charles and Lord Charlotte Clover Liddle  (  White Clover ) pet(s)  a stray grey tabby named Diana

occupation  seamstress  (  waitress upon arriving in Midnight City and in all modern variations ) physical condition  poor health.  underweight.  sickly pallor. mental condition  an imbalance of the humors brought on by hysteria.  prone to strange outbursts,  and speaking unholy blasphemies.

Marianne Liddle was nothing more than another child slipping through the cracks of an overcrowded city.  Another  child with no father to call her own,  no mother to fill her head with morals and tales of how dark the world could really be.  No brothers nor sisters to keep her company.  She was a child alone,  left to a local church run orphanage,  for better or worse.  A child of unknown origin,  she was reared with faith and love,  adoration,  of course,  for she was a wonderful child so full of curiosity and hope.  Devoid of sin.

Or so one would hope and wish into existence,  if they hadn’t known how much blood marred the mad-girl amidst the children blessed by the Christ.

How many ways could she write her own origins until such a cacophony of words made sense to her?  How many ways could she reread the ink-splattered pages so readily confessing her birth as a tragedy until everything made sense to her?

She was another child left to the sisters of Our Sacred Lady of Ashes,  a nunnery run orphanage for those who,  like herself,  were abandoned by mothers and fathers who had too many children,  or could not support their young.  Who could not care for their children who weren’t mentally sound.  Or children who had killed their mother upon birth,  as was the case for Mary Ann Marianne.  A child born marred by death was a child of ill omen in the eyes of a half-mad father,  and she was left upon the doorstep of Our Sacred Lady of Ashes,  where,  perhaps by the grace of God,  she would never stray into evil,  into sin.  Like a man possessed,  he wrote up some vile and horrid confession about her birth,  marking her an abomination,  and away he went from her life.

She was reared with as much care as the Sisters could spare,  and loved as any child ought to have been,  or less as her mind began to wander and she was often found tending to the gardens and speaking with the flowers as though they might hear.  And no amount of dissuading this bizarre habit could stop Marianne,  for her beliefs were so strong.  It is strongly believed that whatever madness was inflicted upon her father had found home within the young child,  and it would only grow and corrupt her.

When she was of some years,  she left the orphanage of her own volition,  it was believed.  Though many accounts may say otherwise.  By luck,  her talent with needle and thread,  with a sewing machine,  offered her an extended shelter,  an ability to,  temporarily,  take care of herself,  so long as she followed strict rules and regulations,  and did not dare become swayed by sin and evil and all things wrong with the world.

Of course,  a mad-girl with no love song to sing was only bound to start to take note of how strange the world was.  How things which ought not to be were very much real.  At some point,  this mad girl so did find that mirrors offered up doorways to worlds beyond.

#⋆⁺₊⋆ 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐚 ›› ㅤ ❝ you are haunted by memories that linger #⋆⁺₊⋆ 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 ›› ㅤ ❝ some to misery are born to endless night

[lilxmcrtes]

Despair And Drinks | @the-wonderland-jinx​

“ i know i don’t deserve forgiveness, but i like the idea that some people think i might. ”

[ ♧ ] ~ “Don’t we all?” The man drawled, a mix of European accent and drunkenness in his words. He certainly wasn’t out of control but he’d had enough to drink that the separation between each word was becoming increasingly small. The accent didn’t do any listeners a favor either.

“We like believing things we don’t aren’t true. In the end it doesn’t change anything though.” Oliver signaled for another drink as he’d just finished the one in his hand. He didn’t fully turn his head to see what sort of response that would earn him. It was more to give her a tired glance.

#the wonderland jinx #v: i write sins not tragedies ( secondary main ) #♧ don’t stand so close to me 》 thread ♧ #☆ more fucked up than queue thought 》 queued post ☆

[aquamanandfriends]

◈ for a first kiss - Leah and Jamie

Leah was a princess, plain and simple. Jamie didn't have a chance against falling for her. She caught herself staring at the girl all too often. It was little things like the way she smiled or brushed her fingers through her hair that caught Jamie's attention. She had all these little quirks that were so cute the sight of them would distract Jamie no matter what she was up to. "Yeah," Jamie nodded when Leah asked her something but god she hadn't heard it, she was too focused on how Leah's fingers pushed her hair back only for it to brush back over her cheek. "Hm, I uh--sorry, I totally zoned out you're just..." she trailed off then looked down for a moment, cheeks red as her hair. "You know me, just not all here all the time," she joked. God, why'd she have to joke? Jamie shook her head and forced herself to look back up at Leah. Her hair was still falling in her face. "Here," Jamie smiled despite herself and without a thought moved closer and tucked Leah's hair back behind her ear. When she realized how close she was she forgot how to breathe. He eyes moved from Leah's ear to her lips and without realizing she did it Jamie licked her own lips a little. "If...Don't hate me," Jamie exhaled, not giving Leah enough time to process her words much less respond to them Jamie leaned in and pressed her lips softly to the other woman's. 

She so rarely acted on impulse but this had been months in the making. They'd edge closer and closer only to pull back and all it was doing was torturing Jamie in her dreams. Fuck. The kiss was so soft, so sweet, but it was so eclectic she was sure her heart had actually stopped. When their lips parted Jamie's thoughts, worries, self-doubt, all came flooding back through her mind. Don't hate me? That's what she'd said? Really?

#【 thats disarming ❖ asks 】 #【 jamie bennett ❖ thread 】 #【 i write sins not tragedies ❖ self para 】 #divinedxsign

[royalaliceflush]

@tearsforgctten

Rests against her boyfriend as she listens to Ayato’s conversation about the human girl, “what is he doing to the weird human girl? He’s rather slow when it comes to nabbing prey, isn’t he?” 

#Alice vc: *watching the threads unfold* #{Alice Liddell - The heartful outsider} #D. Lovers verse #tearsforgctten #(AliLa - We Write Sins; not Tragedies) #[Newly turned stage]

[mnjxe-blog]

❝ @nozous ❞ 

          They're not a thing. They're not together. Connor often tells himself that Yena was just for his entertainment. He can't catch feelings for her. But she was special, in a way, but he would never admit anything like that. Not after she confessed and called him names. It was a messy exchange. He kissed her when he shouldn't but he had to keep up with his image. He has to play the role of the asshole to save her from falling deeper into this mess called him. He knows that she should be done with classes now, that's he drove all the way to her university to pick her up in his lavish looking sports car. Anyone would take a second look at his Lamborghini Centenario Roadster. But he likes to think they're looking at him too, it's not like they can avoid it. “Oi! Tiny human!” He calls out, pushing himself away from his car as soon as he saw Yena. “Come with me.” He doesn't grab her, he simply blocks her way. If she doesn't come with him peacefully, he can always throw her over his shoulder and she should know by now that it's easy for him to do so.

#「♠ THREAD | i write sins not tragedies」 #nozvous #x; yena