#Bloodstone Pass

[vintagerpg]

OK, H-series modules, here we come. This is H1: Bloodstone Pass (1985). This is the first official module tied to the mass combat Battlesystem Rule (hip, hip: booooo). It is one of very few titles that make owning the Battlesystem box set a requirement — most modules that use the rules either make them optional (DL8, sorta) or just include them in a leaner form (like DL11). Even the rest of the H-series modules back off the Battlesystem requirement.

This…isn’t as bad as I want it to be. Players journey to the village of Bloodstone (some wilderness encounters on the way, some roleplay in town), then they go through a bunch of events during which they build an army. Then the players and the army defend the town against bandits. It’s D&D plus Seven Samurai. I like this construction a lot actually. I don’t really want to run Battlesystem, but I could maybe be convinced to play this. There is some nice foreshadowing, too, with an important secondary villain in this module being a priest of Orcus.

Whatever the quality, it is an odd package for TSR: a half inch box with flaps at the top and bottom, so it will never stay closed once you open it. Two booklets inside, the adventure and the battle lists. My copy is incomplete (resellers want far more for complete copies of this thing than I will ever be willing to pay) so I don’t have the chits. There is also a bunch of standees and cardstock cut-and-fold buildings (missing some of those, too). I think the strangest thing is the Jeff Easley cover. I don’t dislike it, but the composition is bizarre, with the Danny DeVito-esque hill giant (Maybe? Dunno why he is blue?) tumbling over dramatically and weirdly weightlessly. One of very few TSR covers depicting a bloody wound, too. Love that piggie orc though!

#roleplaying game #dungeons & dragons #tabletop rpg #rpg #d&d #ttrpg #H1 #Bloodstone Pass #noimport

[thegreatyin]

over the course of my gw2 career, some very important things have become increasingly clear to me:

1) bloodstone dust is simultaneously priceless and worthless and you both want hoards upon hoards of it at any given time because you can never have enough but also you should get rid of it whenever you pick it up immediately because it clogs bag space and is absolutely useless

2) literally every single road leads back to running the silverwastes meta. like literally Every Single One. ever. forever.

#started heart of thorns > decided to go on a quick detour to craft mawdrey bc i needed xp to unlock gliding anyway #> ended up dedicating the entire afternoon and night to running around doing an epic worldwide scavenger hunt > #> ended up teaching myself how to craft to make bloodstone bricks which require level 400 artificer #so i spent like 70 gold on materials and speedran the entire crafting profession in one night #and now all i need is bloodstone dust. lots of it. lots and lots and lots of it. #this is no longer a detour. this is a goal in of itself. i cant bring myself to continue the story til i have that plant. #yin-thoughts #guild wars 2 #anyway there's a fun peek into the gaming life of yin for yall. im sure it's incomprehensible and horrifying both with and without context #this is literally nothing in terms of the bad mmo grinding habits ive somehow spontaneously acquired over the past week #did you know WoW gives you a big puppy dog mount if you 100% complete all of dragonflight? i know. #so that's also what ive been spending the precious hours i have left on this earth doing. ur welcome for this arcane knowledge as well #i need to pass out good night

[therealmofamorus]

Smash or Pass: Fino Bloodstone of Yusibu

#smash or pass #yusibu #fino bloodstone

[inchidentally]

this is so embarrassing but I got rly into the horoscope stuff about landoscar and wrote a giant thing about it all

unlike Lando I wasn't that knowledgeable about astrology before this, just the basics. so I took from a bunch of different sources.

if someone sees this and knows astrology pls add onto it bc it's really fascinating (also I'm new to fandom so if someone already did this I'm sorry I haven't seen it yet)

Oscar is an Aries and Lando of course Scorpio.

Both are signs that can have a tendency toward complications in any of their relationships mainly because of their ambition. But as we'll see they themselves bond over ambition.

They represent the beginning and end of the astrological cycle (Aries is the start, Scorpio is the end). So not only complimentary but also very powerful within their signs.

In terms of modalities, Oscar's Aries is a Cardinal Fire sign and Lando's Scorpio is a Fixed Scorpio. Aries starts things and Scorpio sees them through. I read this as Lando saying that Oscar will challenge him a lot more and push him - I always saw this as Lando seeing a fresh start to his own career.

Updated to add: Oscar's moon is in Virgo which is actually a huge clicking point for him and Lando in terms of creativity/inspiration and being perfectionists. it backs up completely how they both say their input about the car is extremely similar. but also it fits with Lando being the type of creative who creates, and Oscar being a creative who consumes. Oscar's most recent viewing included Sex Education, Killing Eve and compelling documentaries so the boy isn't just throwing on any old crap to pass the time he's watching stuff that love has been put into. and of course Lando's turned his entire life into creative content.

Aries is a Fire sign and Scorpio is Water which I've already turned into a tag for them because I really like that.

Aries birthstone is Diamond and gemstone is Bloodstone. Scorpio's birthstone is Topaz and gemstone is Citrine. I wish I knew more to find out if that's significant.

Both are ruled by Mars and respect each other's ambitions.

They can take turns in cheering the other on from the sidelines but also motivate the other to be the best versions of themselves.

Aries and Scorpio are both made to be the center of things and be magnetic to others. Aries does this by being confident and stubborn while Scorpio is seductive and bossy. And wow if that doesn't describe some of the best and more 'challenging' aspects of their racing careers.

Aries is a born leader and Scorpio is a natural center of attention.

Scorpio will triumph in pursuing Aries and Aries will be "powerless to resist" BUT Scorpio will dive in really fast and risk their heart more. That's okay because once Aries has been won over they love to offer reassurance and attention to Scorpio. Kind of how we couldn't get a read on Oscar and were worried Lando wouldn't get his energy returned to him but after a few months we realized Oscar was really eager to work with Lando and was just nervous about him and McLaren/F1 etc.

When they clash it can be intense but they can also have an unbreakable, blind trust in each other that lets them reconcile without any resentment. They can also reconcile extremely quickly.

Seriously, trust between the two signs is until death to us part. Which for friends/teammates explains why they've already had to undergo a lot of competition between them but they only seem to get closer and more comfortable with each other.

Aries can help Scorpio get out of their own head and overcome insecurities by their (Aries) positive ambitious nature! I love that one.

Verbal communication is their weakest point because Scorpio is complex and frightened of opening up and Aries is straightforward and doesn't like to get lost in their own head. But honestly for teammates or friends I feel like it's better that they trust each other and it doesn't matter that they can't talk for hours on end like Lando does with Carlos. Especially since Lando said it was kind of a benefit being on separate teams to a friend like Carlos because the competition wasn't something they necessarily enjoyed. And we all know how that went with Daniel. Way better not being on the same team.

It's also for the best for Oscar and Lando because they're both averse to showing their hand emotionally too much and it could lead to a lot of miscommunication. Scorpio is scared of getting hurt and Aries is scared of being misunderstood.

The fact that they both value bravery and faithfulness is probably why they don't need much communication to be honest. They both respond to acts/demonstrations of trust more than expression through words. Again why their relationship has grown each time they face challenging races.

They're also compatibly healthy in that Scorpio finds bravery in facing their fears but Aries finds bravery in tackling a new challenge. So after a tough race when Lando finishes hiding away and licking his wounds he has Oscar there all ready to start the next race with a clean slate.

Funnily enough, Aries brings warmth and light to Scorpio and motivates Scorpio to let go of insecurities which is… really really sweet?? A lot of places describe Scorpio (esp early Nov) as being like an elusive intriguing moonbeam type person with Aries as a confident steady sunshine.

What I find most interesting is that at first glance their personalities seem at odds with their signs buttt after obsessing over them a solid what, 7 months or more? I think the fact that Aries/Oscar is genuinely much more socially confident and comfortable in new life situations fits in with how he is happy to travel around the world alone and board away from family and decide his own fate in F1 fits that perfectly. Whereas Lando socially always leans into another person to help him navigate public speaking or making content etc and his social battery tends to drain pretty fast around people he's not simpatico with which fits with Scorpios often seeming aloof and standoffish (press and fans misinterpreting this as Lando being a brat).

Apparently the thing they're best at doing together is sex sssooooo let's translate that into "pushing each other harder on the track" alsgfjsafj

ship/fic-centric stuff

They will ALWAYS fuck fast and fuck furious. Very little time will elapse between meeting and fuckening.

Romantic love will often only form after sexual gratification because Scorpio/Aries sex is apparently the best there is !! (crazy wild and never get enough etc) But when the romantic love is created it's intense and permanent.

They both have a hard line on infidelity within their relationship (Aries/Scorpio) and they would never cheat on each other. With other signs etc is more vague. If the bond isn't strong or the passion fades then they might cheat on other people - just never on each other. But if their other partners cheat on them then it's good night jim kite broken up/divorced/shipping the box of belongings with no note attached.

Apparently Scorpio will straight up be a freak in bed and Aries will love keeping up with them. Lando will want to do EVERYthing and Oscar will be ready to do anything for him.

Not that it's applicable outside traditional gender norms but in Scorpio/Aries relationships, Scorpio is always assigned distinctly feminine and Aries distinctly masculine. Again, gross in a cishet sense but if you're a believer in masculine and feminine energies then that's generally how they would fall.

Both signs are extremely possessive and it bonds them together so well because Scorpio needs to feel constant reassurance that the fire is still alive and Aries will always provide and be rock solid reliable. So a really easy form of conflict would be to have one of them unable to hide jealousy of either the other's partner or close friend. Apparently Lando would lash out and show spite whereas Oscar would sulk and openly glare.

Honestly so much of this was about intimacy and bonding through hot scorching risk-taking sex soooo I think the sky is the limit when it comes to how wild they would get real fast. Think Oscar crowding Lando a lot or making him do something exhibitionist and Lando getting frisky in inappropriate places or producing a heinous variety of erotic game play.

yea please add to this if you know anything else apparently I can't get enough of it

#landoscar #lando norris #oscar piastri #mctwinks #rpf #mine #f1 astrology

[talonabraxas]

Quetzalcoatl Talon Abraxas

Quetzalcoatl: "precious feathered serpent" from quetzalli, “precious feather,” and coatl, “snake”

The Story of Quetzalcoatl

Quetzalcoatl was born of the virgin Chinmalman in the Toltec city of Tollan. The God Above Gods known as “The Morning” descended and breathed upon her, and she conceived. She died when giving birth, and went to the heaven of heroes who died in battle and women who died in childbirth.

Her son was born able to speak and was filled with knowledge and wisdom. He was fair skinned and when grown had a white beard. He became the priest-king of Tollan and brought the nation great prosperity and peace. He taught his people all the arts, music, and dance; he established the priesthood and created the Aztec calendar; he reformed the religious practices and outlawed human sacrifice; he domesticated animals, discovered maize, and more.

His temple-palace was of four sections: the East was golden; the South was white with shells and pearls; the West, blue of turquoise and jade; and the North, red of bloodstone. A giant river that flowed through Tollan passed directly under this palace so that Quetzalcoatl could descend every night to bathe in its pure waters.

After a lifetime work for his people, the time came for his predestined fall and he did not evade it.

The reforms that he had brought had made him many enemies. Those who practiced human sacrifices plotted to do away with Quetzalcoatl. But they knew that if they killed him he would gain more followers so they planned to discredit him.

To his palace came a young magician named Tezcatlipoca carrying a mirror wrapped in rabbit skin (the animal who is seen in the Moon). He said to the palace servants, “Tell your master I am here to show him his own flesh.”

When Quetzalcoatl received him, the youth uncovered the mirror and said, “Look upon yourself! See yourself as you are seen!”

When Quetzalcoatl saw his aged and sore-ridden face, he was appalled and wondered how any could see him without shock.

Tezcatlipoca had brought a potion made from the agave plant by the goddess Mayahuel (the alcoholic drink pulque); he offered it the aged king and said it would make him young again, but Quetzalcoatl claimed he was ill and would not drink it. But Tezcatlipoca pressed him merely to taste it with the tip of his finger; he did so, and was overcome. He took the bowl and drank and became drunk. He then called for his sister Quetzalpetlatl who also drank of the potion and was overcome. The two then sank together in a fit of drunken passion, and Quetzalcoatl fell into disgrace.

At dawn, the humiliated king said, “I have sinned. I am not fit to rule.” He burned his palace, buried his treasures in the earth, and left.

"And so greatly did (the Toltecs) believe in their priest Quetzalcoatl, and so greatly obedient and given to the things of their God, and so fearful of God, all believed in Quetzalcoatl when he left Tula... And so much did they trust Quetzalcoatl that they went with him; they entrusted upon him their wives, their children, their sick ones. They stood up, they set off, the old men, the old women, no one ceased to obey; all set off." - Chimalpopoca Codex

After awhile, he stopped to rest and looked back at the City of the Sun, Tollan, and he wept. His tears went into the rock, and he left there an imprint of his sitting and his palms.

In his journeys, he had many adventures and misfortunes. Most notably, he made an arrow of a pochotl tree and fired it into another pochotl tree, forming the sign of Quetzalcoatl: a cross.

Thus he passed though the land leaving many signs and marks behind him until he arrived at the place where the land, sky, and water come together. He then sailed away on a raft of serpents. In another version of the story he cast himself into a funeral pyre; from the burning body his heart escaped, and after four days he reappeared as the Morning Star.

From then it was said that he would return from the East with a fair-faced retinue to resume his reign, restoring Tollan to its lost glory.

-Aztec Christic Magic

[heartofwritiing]

Hiya I saw your Jack requests were open and all I’ve been thinking about is Jack keeping you warm while in the cold forest (werewolf or not)

Warmth

paring: Jack Russell x fem!reader

summary:

a/n: I absolutely LOVE this idea, and I love the idea of him being cuddly trying to get you warmed up with his body heat! hope you like it anon!

warnings: fluuff, takes place at the end of wbn and unedited!

Birds chirped happily as the sun was just coming up over the treeline. You sat on an old tree trunk as the last embers of the fire were dying out. Ted sat next to you playing a game of solitaire with cards laid out on the dirt in front of him, they were bigger than your hand.

When you woke before you were laid next to the fire, Ted grunted happily at noticing your movement. You greeted him good morning and sat up feeling your bones crack, sleeping on a hard forest floor was not ideal for your body.

Ted had passed you a cup of coffee which you greatly accepted and now here you were watching for Jack to wake up under the teepee made of sticks.

Flashes of last night flowed through your mind, you remember arriving at Bloodstone manner with Jack last night, the only reason you both were there was to rescue Ted again. You did successfully with the help of Elsa then everything pretty much went to hell after Jack tried to pick up the Bloodstone and the three of you were imprisoned in a cage. After Jack had transformed and pretty much went on a whole rampage you and Ted left Elsa to go find Jack. Finding him was the hard part but once you did he had already been tired out at that point and fell asleep, so here you all were know.

A groan coming from the teepee broke you out of your thoughts and made you look for the source. Jack was waking up, crawling out from his makeshift tent, and coming to sit beside you. Ted lifted another mug of coffee up to Jack which he thanked him for. Jack wrapped his cloak tightly around his shoulders and took a sip of his cup and hummed.

"How are you feeling then?" you asked your boyfriend, who scooted closer to you.

"I'll be fine, I always am," he replies.

The record softly playing 'over the rainbow' scratches when it finishes Ted reaches over to lift the needle and start's the song over as it plays over the air again you shiver at the sudden gust of wind blowing past you.

"amour are you cold?" Jack asks.

You nod shivering slightly. "Just a little."

"Well come closer to me then," he gestures for you to move over so you do until both your shoulders are touching. Jack smiles amused he places his mug down beside his foot and begins unwrapping his cloak and putting one side over your back and shoulder to pull you closer to him.

He gasps when he feels how cold your hands are when he laces your fingers together. "Oh, Mi Vida you are freezing." He quickly takes his hand to rub against your arm to warm you up faster, you already feel so warm by his actions. You weren't sure if it was because of the close proximity of you both or if his wolf side had anything to do with him being so warm all the time.

"There see, you already feel better?" he asks.

You nod burying your face into his neck and your body ignites when you feel his lips press against your forehead. Ted grunts beside you both but you're not sure what he's saying, Jack was the only one who understood him, whether that had to do with them being monsters you didn't know but you never really questioned it.

"What are you talking about? I'm the one that always comes to your rescue," Jack argues at the creature.

Ted does some more grunting, it sounds like arguing back.

"Whatever," Jack waves him off.

They then get into a discussion about food while you sit beside Jack listening to half of their conversation. Another blow of the wind rushes past you causing you to shiver once more, you press yourself closer to Jack, you don't see it but he's beaming at how near you want to be to him. Most people never wanted to get attached to him once they found out who he really was, but you didn't care about him being a monster. You didn't believe he was either.

For a while, the three of you sat drinking your coffee as the sun was starting to rise more and more in the sky and you didn't need to huddle up for warmth for much longer. When you tried to pull away from Jack, he frowned and asked you where you were going.

"I'm all warmed up now," you say with the other half of the cloak falling off your shoulder.

"No, I don't want you to catch a cold," he protests. He motions for you to slide back beside him. You raise your eyebrows at Jack.

"I'll be fine, the sun's coming up," you gesture towards the sky.

He scoffs and drops his head in defeat still holding out his arm.

"I like when you're close to me," he confesses suddenly. "I find it very comforting."

Heat creeps up your cheeks and you feel butterflies erupt in your stomach at the sudden confession. You and jack had been together for a while after running into each other one night on a full moon, you had helped him, and ever since then you just stuck together. It wasn't long after you grew feelings for each other and made it known, so it wasn't hard for Jack to make you flustered with his charm or smile.

You sigh with a smile on your lips letting him pull you against him again. "Just for a little while longer." you close your eyes resting your head on his shoulder as he lays his head on top of yours.

You hear Ted let out one little sigh, almost as if he's saying 'awe' at the pair of you. Jack tells him to hush which earns a deep laugh from the gentle giant.

taglist: @redheadspark @a-lumos-in-the-nox @skywalkersapologist @wacky-nerdchick @countlessimagines @nicolewithanee @starfirette @pandalandalopalis @michel-9 @creedtheconquer @user-jongdae @steve-harringtons-slut @charlie-heatons-whxre

tagged some of you all who liked my other Jack fic and gave me suggestions for things! If you don’t want to be tagged in any future stuff please let me know!

#jack russell x reader #jack russell x fem!reader #jack russell #werewolf by night #mcu #mcu fanfiction #fanfiction #marvel fanfic #marvel imagine #mcu x reader #marvel fanfiction #marvel fic #spooky season fic #werewolf by night fanfiction #jack russell fanfiction

[floating--goblin]

so logamin

I feel like it's rightfully weird to a lot of people, considering the whole canon dynamic between them, but the way that I like to think about it is like

You have Logan. Orphan, thrust into the real world all too early, put in charge of an immense kingdom that only got united some 50 years prior. Only the second generation of Albion monarchy, with all too little wisdom left over from his predecessors, most of which were just mayors of Bowerstone. From what it looks like, his only guidance came from Walter-- who was all too busy with his little sibling-- and Reaver, who is... Reaver. Currently-busy-sucking-the-continent-dry, human sacrificer, industrialist extraordinaire, literal inventor of capitalism in Albion Reaver. Who tried to kill Logan's parent at least once, mind you.

And then you have Ben Finn-- sweet, idealist, loyal to a fault Ben Finn, whose allegiance you earn once and forever. You could break every promise, raze everything to the ground, leave thousands of innocents to die to the Darkness, and he's the only one who won't leave. Good, devoted, collared dog Ben Finn. Because he gets it-- you're trying to keep the country from crumbling. So what if he doesn't agree with your means to that end? He'll grit and bear. He knows all too well by now what sacrifice means and what the world will take from you, that life is short, that where he's from people don't live to half his age.

He knows what it's like to watch your parents die, to have what flimsy safety net you had unravel beneath you. He knows deep, undying love for his siblings, which Logan clearly has as well-- the same way little Ben Finn tried to protect his much older brothers with his peashooter and his scrawny kid fists, Logan tried to protect his sibling by keeping them locked up and in the dark about his work. Shelter them, bear the brunt of it, so others won't have to suffer. Same mentality as Ben.

When Logan has Major Swift executed, we get to see a rare glimpse of true wrath in Ben-- that was his father figure, the last thing he had resembling a family, ripped from him. He vows to make Logan suffer, advocates for his execution after the revolution; and yet, still fights by his side in the Battle for Albion, still stands by him at Walter's funeral without complaint, still tolerates his existence. A year passes in between the coup and the Battle-- do you think, in that time, he got to see Logan more? The Allies must've had meetings to strategize, and judging by his clothing Logan's been living in the castle; they couldn't have not interacted during that year.

Do you think, then, that Ben Finn-- self-sacrificial as he's always been, now having to see his best friend struggle to run the country and avoid falling into the same pitfalls Logan did-- looked at the disgraced former king and... Got it?

He's had comrades drop like flies left and right-- honest, hard-working people with families back home, who nonetheless were in it for the greater good-- and had to get back up, dust himself off and crack a joke for the sake of morale. He's lived in Bloodstone, a festering wound on the face of Albion, doing Avo knows what; death and decay have always followed in his footsteps, and yet he's chosen to take that as just another piece of the puzzle.

Because when you're talking about saving the world, you come to see people as distant, abstract notions. And he'll always resent that Logan was pushed to those depths of madness, but he can't not get the need to take extreme measures in the face of certain doom.

After all, his best friend, his Hero, is one step away from doing the same. And in their place, he might, too. For the greater good.

So he leaves Bowerstone. Tours the world once over, relives his youth-- which wasn't so long ago, but he feels ancient by now. He's quieter now perhaps, a little more skittish; more alert to a glint of something metal in the corner of his eye, more prepared to jump into action at the groaning of a wooden floor behind him. He comes back to Albion years later, maybe a little more gray and scruffy, but still Ben Finn. Despite everything, still good old Ben Finn. In a decade or so, tensions between Samarkand and Albion will be rising-- in another four or five, Darkness will descend upon Albion once more. New Heroes will have to be made.

But for now he's home, and his friend welcomes him with open arms-- gives him a room in the castle perhaps, a generous allowance, and the odd adventuring job to keep him from getting bored. Page is still down in the sewers, directing her energy toward workers' rights and children's education, building a system that'll ensure no one's left to rot in the street. Sabine's passed by now, perhaps, but the Dwellers have been given their lands back and are represented in the Court; as are the Aurorans, who have their own embassy by now. Kalin sends letters sometimes, discusses everything from philosophy to petty gossip with the Hero. She's delighted to hear Ben's back, invites him and the Hero over sometime, maybe for a festival-- You should see Aurora nowadays, Ben, it's like a phoenix risen from the ashes! the Hero might say. And it's true-- with the Darkness gone, the "City of Nightmares" has become anything but.

He takes it all in, and something's missing-- and it's not that he, personally, misses Logan, but Logan's absence is... impossible to ignore. Like a vital piece of the scenery that's been plucked out. The Hero probably doesn't mention it, but it's evident that it stings. And maybe Ben inquires about it one night, when it's evident the Hero would like to reminisce-- lets them talk about their childhood, about growing up to see Logan go from a timid, good-hearted boy to a monster. About the way he hid his encounter with the Crawler from everyone and sunk deeper and deeper into his paranoia, convinced that no one will believe him if he tells them what he's seen. Tormented by the vision and doomed not to be trusted, the Seer's curse.

And maybe Ben decides to leave one day-- sick of rescuing chickens from wells and children from trees, he decides to surprise his best friend. And so he tracks Logan down to whatever corner of the world he's cooped up in; most likely in the libraries of Samarkand, a lonely shadow from far away lands, that talks to no one, keeps his face covered, and seems to be seeking something ineffable in the hundreds upon hundreds of yellowed pages he devours each day. Ben's arrival startles him-- he, too, is more skittish these days. And when he sees that familiar face pulled up into a scowl, Logan's sure his end has come for him.

Instead, Ben invites him home. Talks about his sibling, the way they'll never admit it but have him on their mind every waking hour. He tells Logan this isn't forgiveness-- they aren't friends. But he gets it. And after so many years, it's time to let the dust settle. Everyone should come home.

They travel back together, take the long trek from province to province until they reach the coast of Samarkand, board a ship and set sail for Albion. They live off the same small hunt, wild berries and hardtack over the journey back, drink from the same battered old flask, huddle together during storms, ward off bandits side by side. For better or worse, they become comrades-- Ben talks at length around the nightly campfire to stay sane, and eventually Logan joins him. Shares some of his own stories, perhaps-- and that's how Ben discovers the former king never wanted to be a king at all, that he did it for the sake of his parent's legacy and that he clung desperately to his moral compass until his mind broke too far to be trusted. That he always dreamt of being a scholar, perhaps an alchemist or a craftsman of some sort. That he can recite hundreds of poems and epics, that he loves literature just as fiercely as Ben does.

That he'd do anything for his friends and family, no matter how big the sacrifice.

And Ben doesn't forgive him yet, can't do it-- but they reach Bowerstone, and he watches the Hero burst into tears at the sight of their brother, older and more disheveled but alive, and he can't help but think back to being small and helpless and praying every night that his brothers might somehow, through some miracle, return to him.

And maybe sometime down the line, Logan musters up the courage to approach Ben one night and apologize. He speaks quietly, there's a tremor in his voice that's hard to miss; but Ben can tell the apology was composed with care and rehearsed heavily beforehand, and it's thorough. Logan makes no demands, he recognizes he might never be forgiven; he'll live with that, it's the consequences of his own actions, for which he'll take responsibility. Still, he apologizes.

And maybe Ben, good old Ben Finn, who by this point has only been thrust further and further into misery each time he thought he'd come to understand the horrors of the universe, finds it in his heart to forgive him. It won't undo the damage, but... he gets it. There's an understanding that goes unspoken, that Logan's actions will never be forgotten-- but they can live with that, some way or another.

And maybe as time passes, they fall further and further into each other. It's not the youthful, blazing kind of love that's all butterflies in your stomach and grand gestures-- more like furtive glances over the dinner table, correspondence during absences, or sparring matches as an excuse to spend time together. It's slow, a quiet yearning that could be tuned out, but is all the sweeter for being there at all.

They're old by the time they fall into place-- or well, older than they ever thought they'd get. Thirties, fourties perhaps. Long life still ahead of them, but an ache in their bones that's aeons old. Doesn't matter anymore. They'll nurse the ache together.

By then, perhaps, they get a house far from the bustling city life; somewhere near Brightwood perhaps, where the land's decent for farming and the past is alive-- the good parts of it, at least. Somewhere they can wake up to fresh air and rustling leaves, keep a few animals, focus on writing. And The Life and Adventures of Benjamin Finn can come to a close in a way Ben never dared to imagine, one that'll have audiences satisfied:

I lived.

#fable #logan fable #ben finn #logamin #fable 3 #hi. behold my deranged ramblings

[nanshe-of-nina]

Posthumous Characters GIF Sets → Rhea Royce

A year later, in 115 AC, there came a tragic mishap, of the sort that shapes the destiny of kingdoms: the “bronze bitch” of Runestone, Lady Rhea Royce, fell from her horse whilst hawking and cracked her skull upon a stone. She lingered for nine days before finally feeling well enough to leave her bed…only to collapse and die within an hour of rising. A raven was duly sent to Storm’s End, and Lord Baratheon dispatched a messenger by ship to Bloodstone, where Prince Daemon was still struggling to defend his meagre kingdom against the men of the Triarchy and their Dornish allies. Daemon flew at once for the Vale. “To put my wife to rest,” he said, though more like it was in the hopes of laying claim to her lands, castles, and incomes. In that he failed; Runestone passed instead to Lady Rhea’s nephew, and when Daemon made appeal to the Eyrie, not only was his claim dismissed, but Lady Jeyne warned him that his presence in the Vale was unwelcome.

#asoiafedit #valyrianscrolls #rhea royce #house royce #a song of ice and fire #asoiaf gifs #nanshe's graphics

[atopvisenyashill]

The Magic Users Before Old Valyria, Part One: Magical Nuclear Fallout

i am positive this post has been made before but i'm making it anyway because it's eating away at my brain so let's gooooo.

We are delving into a fever dream that Dany has in AGOT, that will take us to the Pre-Valyrian magical users and their link to Valyria.

so in Dany's fever dream in AGOT, she has a vision of her ancestors:

Ghosts lined the hallway, dressed in the faded raiment of kings. In their hands were swords of pale fire. They had hair of silver and hair of gold and hair of platinum white, and their eyes were opal and amethyst, tourmaline and jade.

They look just like other Valyrians - hair of gold, white, and silver with funky colored eyes.

But note the exact gems mentioned! In TWOIAF, we get a little background on Yi Ti and their belief system. read here:

[In the beginning] a single realm ruled by the God-on-Earth, the only begotten son of the Lion of Night and Maiden-Made-of-Light, who traveled about his domains in a palanquin carved from a single pearl and carried by a hundred queens, his wives. For ten thousand years the Great Empire of the Dawn flourished in peace and plenty under the God-on-Earth, until at last he ascended to the stars to join his forebears.

Dominion over mankind then passed to his eldest son, who was known as the Pearl Emperor and ruled for a thousand years. The Jade Emperor, the Tourmaline Emperor, the Onyx Emperor, the Topaz Emperor, and the Opal Emperor followed in turn, each reigning for centuries…

When the daughter of the Opal Emperor succeeded him as the Amethyst Empress, her envious younger brother cast her down and slew her, proclaiming himself the Bloodstone Emperor and beginning a reign of terror. He practiced dark arts, torture, and necromancy, enslaved his people, took a tiger-woman for his bride, feasted on human flesh, and cast down the true gods to worship a black stone that had fallen from the sky.

Opal, Amethyst, Tourmaline, and Jade Emperors, just like her ancestors. It's not a huge stretch to say that likely, Dany, and therefore Valyrians as a whole (or at the least the Dragon Riders of Valyria) are the remnants of this ancient empire, The Great Empire of the Dawn, the same way that the Ghiscari culture is the remnant of Old Ghis - changed a bit, but with many similarities passed down amongst its people.

But who exactly is this civilization and how did they eventually turn into the Valyrians? Well, let's keep continuing with that passage about the Bloodstone Emperor:

In the annals of the Further East, it was the Blood Betrayal, as his usurpation is named, that ushered in the age of darkness called the Long Night…How long the darkness endured no man can say, but all agree that it was only when a great warrior—known variously as Hyrkoon the Hero, Azor Ahai, Yin Tar, Neferion, and Eldric Shadowchaser—arose to give courage to the race of men and lead the virtuous into battle with his blazing sword Lightbringer that the darkness was put to rout, and light and love returned once more to the world.

Basically, the people of Yi Ti believe that the Great Empire of the Dawn stretched far across the globe, and that when the Bloodstone Emperor usurped his niece, The Amethyst Empress, potentially using some weird blood magic, it caused the Long Night and the collapse of the Great Empire of the Dawn.

I think that this blood magic he was messing around with was, to use a metaphor, basically a magic nuclear bomb and I think ground zero for this - and therefore the capital of the Great Empire of the Dawn - is Asshai-by-the-Shadow. It's very notable that Asshai is so old its people don't even know what its origins are:

The ancient port of Asshai stands at the end of a long wedge of land, on the point where the Jade Sea meets the Saffron Straits. Its origins are lost in the mists of time. Even the Asshai’i do not claim to know who built their city; they will say only that a city has stood here since the world began and will stand here until it ends. Few places in the known world are as remote as Asshai, and fewer are as forbidding. Travelers tell us that the city is built entirely of black stone: halls, hovels, temples, palaces, streets, walls, bazaars, all. Some say as well that the stone has a greasy, unpleasant feel to it, that it seems to drink the light, dimming tapers and torches and hearth fires alike.

Note that last part, about the city being built from black stone - Valyria is well known for having Weird, Cool Architecture that involves black stone, fused together by dragon fire. From ADWD prologue:

Across the wide blue expanse of the Rhoyne, he could see the Black Wall that had been raised by the Valyrians when Volantis was no more than an outpost of their empire: a great oval of fused stone two hundred feet high and so thick that six four-horse chariots could race around its top abreast, as they did each year to celebrate the founding of the city.

and again from Tyrion's POV:

The gateway to the Long Bridge was a black stone arch carved with sphinxes, manticores, dragons, and creatures stranger still. Beyond the arch stretched the great span that the Valyrians had built at the height of their glory, its fused stone roadway supported by massive piers. 

And one more time F&B/The Princess and the Queen, when Aegon and Sunfyre on are Dragonstone:

Sunfyre’s scales still shone like beaten gold in the sunlight, but as he sprawled across the fused black Valyrian stone of the yard, it was plain to see that he was a broken thing, he who had been the most magnificent dragon ever to fly the skies of Westeros

rip to the hottest dragon in westeros.

It's very much a Valyrian thing, this fused black stone...yet the entirety of Asshai is built with black stone, even though the city predates Valyria, and the black stone of Asshai is just a little different - a greasy, unpleasant feeling. I think that this greasy feeling comes from the remnants of the magic that caused the Long Night - going back to that idea of a magical nuclear bomb which is poisoning the land the way radiation does. I think this because there are actually several ancient cities of mysterious origin with black stone and a greasy, oily feeling to them, all of which seem to have suffered some sort of magical nuclear fallout the way Asshai has, and they're all not too far from each other either:

The Idol on the Isle of Toads in the Basilisk Isles

Ruins found upon the Isle of Tears, the Isle of Toads, and Ax Island hint at some ancient civilization, but little is now known of these vanished men of the Dawn Age. If any still survived when the first corsairs settled on the islands, they were soon put to the sword, so no trace of them now remains … save perhaps upon the Isle of Toads…

On the Isle of Toads can be found an ancient idol, a greasy black stone crudely carved into the semblance of a gigantic toad of malignant aspect, some forty feet high. The people of this isle are believed by some to be descended from those who carved the Toad Stone, for there is an unpleasant fishlike aspect to their faces, and many have webbed hands and feet. If so, they are the sole surviving remnant of this forgotten race.

The Five Forts

The Five Forts are very old, older than the Golden Empire itself; some claim they were raised by the Pearl Emperor during the morning of the Great Empire to keep the Lion of Night and his demons from the realms of men … and indeed, there is something godlike, or demonic, about the monstrous size of the forts, for each of the five is large enough to house ten thousand men, and their massive walls stand almost a thousand feet high.

Certain scholars from the west have suggested Valyrian involvement in the construction of the Five Forts, for the great walls are single slabs of fused black stone that resemble certain Valyrian citadels in the west … but this seems unlikely, for the Forts predate the Freehold’s rise, and there is no record of any dragonlords ever coming so far east.

The Ancient City of Yeen

Maesters and other scholars alike have puzzled over the greatest of the engimas of Sothoryos, the ancient city of Yeen. A ruin older than time, built of oily black stone, in massive blocks so heavy that it would require a dozen elephants to move them, Yeen has remained a desolation for many thousands of years, yet the jungle that surrounds it on every side has scarce touched it.

And even more suspicious is the fact that Sothoryos, where Yeen is located, is known for its large wyvern population:

Most terrible of all are the wyverns, those tyrants of the southern skies, with their great leathery wings, cruel beaks, and insatiable hunger. Close kin to dragons, wyverns cannot breathe fire, but they exceed their cousins in ferocity and are a match for them in all other respects save size.

Now there's different stories on how dragons came to be, but most interesting to me is what the Asshai'i claim:

The Valyrians themselves claimed that dragons sprang forth as the children of the Fourteen Flames, while in Qarth the tales state that there was once a second moon in the sky. One day this moon was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth. In Asshai, the tales are many and confused, but certain texts—all impossibly ancient—claim that dragons first came from the Shadow, a place where all of our learning fails us. These Asshai’i histories say that a people so ancient they had no name first tamed dragons in the Shadow and brought them to Valyria, teaching the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals.

Septon Barth later writes that he believes Valyrians used wyverns and blood magic to make dragons:

In Septon Barth’s Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns, he speculated that the bloodmages of Valyria used wyvern stock to create dragons. Though the bloodmages were alleged to have experimented mightily with their unnatural arts, this claim is considered far-fetched by most maesters, among them Maester Vanyon’s Against the Unnatural contains certain proofs of dragons having existed in Westeros even in the earliest of days, before Valyria rose to be a power.

So to sum up basically:

Dany's vision shows us her ancestors, who are almost definitely the rulers of the Great Empire of the Dawn

We know several cities - Asshai, Yeen, the Isle of Toads - that have an architectural resemblance to the fused black stone that the Valyrians used, but their structures predate Valyria.

We know Septon Barth believes dragons were made through blood magic with wyverns as a base stock and that there are a lot of wyverns in one of these ancient places, Sothoryos/Yeen, where the black stone architecture is found.

The people of Yi Ti believe that a magical calamity of some sort caused the Long Night.

THEREFORE: The Great Empire of the Dawn had its capital in Asshai, and used blood magic to start the Long Night (by accident, most likely), which caused a huge magical calamity that affected the entire world, and while their people never recovered from it, they brought their magical knowledge with them to their new home in Valyria, where they made more black fused stone architecture and turned their wyverns into dragons. Meanwhile, the "ground zero" for much of this magical calamity still experiences the magical fallout of this calamity.

OKAY. That's part one because this is getting super long winded. Part Two will be....JUST HOW BIG WAS THE GREAT EMPIRE OF THE DAWN ANYWAY?

#valyrianscrolls #old valyria #the great empire of the dawn #house targaryen #getting on my soap box #septon barth #yi ti

[moonlit-mystery-writer]

My Oc's Relationships with the Varia

@childe-of-saulot @myrmyrtheorca

Okay! Fair warning before I start on this oc, there will be a lot on her lol. I've been able to play around with her the longest of my KHR ocs and I have her entwined with a handful of other ocs (That I might post some other day).

Secondly, she's the wife of the Arcobaleno and partially cursed as such, so Viper/Mammon will be done later when/if I ever get around to writing out her dynamics with that group lol.

Thirdly, Fran will be on a different post too if/when I get to the Kokuyo Gang.

Celeste Thorne or Celeste Épine is naturally a very caring and kind woman. If she's not actively taking care of someone, she's inevitably mother hen-ing someone. The type of person who's always wanted to be a parent; someone who's always dreamed a big family. However, her chances of being a mother were mostly dashed when her spouses were cursed into infantile forms and her own age permanently frozen no matter how many years pass. Even so, she did everything to keep herself hopeful and positive for the sake of Aria who she was now raising.

Squalo: Celeste is best friends with Squalo's mother and is his godmother. She was one of the first few people who held him as newborn and basically helped raise him throughout his life. Right there for almost ever major milestone of his life, and for the few she wasn't, she showed up not long after. She adores him with all her heart, having a slight tendency to still view him as the ambitious little boy she knew so long ago; the baby who'd stubbornly fuss in her arms no matter what she did as his mother got some much needed rest.

One thing she still does for him that she's done since he was young is get him at least one birthday gift with his birthstone, something she does for anyone she loves. For Squalo, he has plenty of jewelry and charms with aquamarine, but his favorite (though he'd never fully admit it to her) is the bloodstone locket that has the Varia logo on it with a picture of him and Xanxus inside. She got it for him for his first birthday after he became part of the Varia; the bloodstone being both March's second birthstone and a bad joke about him being an assassin now.

Nowadays, when she visits him, she tends to fuss over his hair a little. Celeste knows full well that he can take care of himself and his hair is doing just fine with how he cares for it, obviously. However, as someone with really long hair herself, she instinctively wants to take care of it for him. In fact, she tends to fuss over his health in general, if he gets snippy about it she will point out all his near-death experiences and how he cut off his own hand when he was young. In her eyes, this perfectly warrants her concerns over him.

Bel/Belphegor: Since she was a little girl and knew she wanted a family of her own, Celeste would go on and on about wanting twins. As she got older and older, she was certain one day she'd have twin sons. And well... She wasn't wrong per se, but the method wasn't exactly conventional at all.

She met Bel and Rasiel when they were 4 years old, or more specifically, 3 years old and 11 months. She was in their kingdom after their father contacted the Giglio Nero Famiglia, wanting to discuss the idea joining the mafia life. She was hesitant at first, but after learning he had young sons and running the idea of the visit past Aria, she couldn't help agreeing. Thus, her and the then 12 year old Aria, ending up staying in their kingdom for almost a year. She thought she'd be getting into a situation where the boys were loved dearly by others and that their father was an actual parent to them. That was not the case and she was so angry for the sake of both boys. If she could've, she would've killed their father a million times over and taken them far away from there. The only thing that held her back is the risk that regicide would pose for Aria and the Giglio Nero Famiglia as a whole.

Bel's first memory of Celeste is of him opening a birthday gift she got him. The toy inside was a simple stuffed animal, but it was a mink stuffed animal. To a little him, the fact she took effort in getting him his specific favorite animal instead of just grabbing him something generic meant the world. To this day he has that toy, far more weathered and aged, but still the same. Its also where his dear box animal, Mink, gets its name from.

Celeste tried everything she could to get the boys to stop fighting each other entirely. She could get them to pause for moments, namely by distracting them with activities or singing for them, but it'd never last for too long. Even so, she never yelled or used force or do anything that could hurt them forever. She'd gentle scold, explain why the actions were wrong, then tend to any injuries that may have happened or would clean them both up.

She did everything she could to make sure both twins knew they were loved, but especially Bel. She knew the pains of being the spare heir(ess) very well herself. She knew what it felt like to have everyone's eyes on an older sibling rather than you. So she made sure he knew that she was always there for him. That her eyes were always on him too, not just on Rasiel. Celeste also did this by giving both unique and kinda silly nicknames. Bel's are: Little prince, mon loup, and Baby-Bel Cheese. She still calls Bel these to this day.

I don't think we're ever given a proper timeline as to when the twins gave each other laxative and worms. So! When Bel got sick after being force fed worms by his brother, Celeste stayed right by his side. She took care of him and made sure he got better instead of force. At the time, he was bitter because she'd done the same for Rasiel a week earlier when he poisoned him. However now, whenever he's sick, he will often find himself missing her soft words and gentle touch and how she'd only leave to get things he needed, to check on Aria, or when he was asleep.

Both of them equally hate when she had to leave and leave him behind. Celeste just also hates that she had to leave Rasiel behind too given she loved both twins as her own after all.

Celeste met him again basically right after he joined the Varia. When Viper had called her and said they had a gift for her, one of her lost babies wasn't what she'd expected. But she was so happy to have Bel back in her life, even if she couldn't be right there for him full time. Of course it hurt to learn Rasiel was gone, but she'd never tell him that directly. And it's not like it was a big surprise to learn given that she was the only trying to actively curb their violent tendencies towards each other, there was a part of her that figured one of them would end up killing the other as much as it hurt to think.

To this day, he's the Varia member she spends the most time with outside of Viper. She loves taking him out to places he wants to see or to events or even just short shopping trips. She wants to give Bel the best sense of normalcy that she can despite his upbringing and the fact both of them are so deeply involved in the mafia. As, she knows he'll never fully be able to get it for himself.

Lussuria and Levi: Combining these two because there's not much to them and her! However, that doesn't mean she doesn't care for them at all. She simply didn't get to know them well until after Xanxus got frozen. Celeste did small thing for them to show she cares for them too. Though, her biggest act involving one of them has to be when she bought Lussuria a whole set of diamond jewelry (necklace, bracelets, and earrings) because he's an April birthday like her.

Xanxus: On all level except physical, Xanxus is her son. That's how she sees it at least. They met at a Vongola party when a then 9 year old Aria dragged a less than happy 9 year old Xanxus right up to her, declaring the boy her new best friend. From that day on, he became her own son in her heart. She hated Timoteo, but she was willing to set all of that completely aside so Xanxus could spend time with her and Aria. She doted on him like any spoiling mother would. She showered him with attention and praise. She helped him with homework and made sure to reward his good grades. But she knew that she wasn't the one he wanted that from.

Celeste wasn't stupid. She knew all the boy wanted was his father's acknowledgement. Part of her wanted to fight Timoteo until he gave Xanxus what he wanted. In her eyes, her baby was more than deserving of it. But she held back, knowing it'd just hurt him if he ever learned she had to step in to get him what he wanted most. And she doesn't want him in pain after all. She didn't know what eventually caused Xanxus to hate Timoteo too, but she supported him.

For her, like with the rest of the mafia world, Xanxus simply disappeared. She mourned like any mother would when their child is missing without a trace. However, it wasn't hard for her to learn the real story from the others she's close to in the Varia. She was pissed, beyond pissed even when she learned. At Timoteo, at the rest of Vongola, at the rest of mafia in general, and even at herself.

To her, she failed Xanxus. She didn't love him enough clearly. She didn't give him everything he needed, that's what caused this. Maybe she should've fought Timoteo into give Xanxus the attention he wanted, even if it hurt him emotionally. Hurt feelings are better than being frozen in ice after all... She should've done more for him...

The main reason she hates the rest of the mafia for this though is for a simple reason: They don't miss her son. They miss Timoteo's heir. They don't miss the boy who always struggled getting up in the morning after sleepover with Aria. They don't miss the boy she helped finish hard math homework. They don't miss the boy who loves ligers, who's favorite color is orange, and who loves to read. They don't miss the boy who'd struggle to fall back asleep after a nightmare. They don't miss the boy she taught to swim. They don't miss the boy she carried to bed when he and Aria fell asleep on her couch. They don't miss that Xanxus, her Xanxus. They miss the Vongola Decimo candidate, Xanxus.

For every year he was frozen, she still got birthday gifts for him. Of course, she wasn't sure if he'd actually like them at that point, but she took an educated guess of what he might've liked as he got older. His fist birthday after he got unfrozen, she sent him every last one of those gifts.

Nowadays, she still love him with all her heart as her son. He'll always be her baby after all. But, he's not a kid anymore and she knows it. He doesn't need her to hold her to hold his hand and guide him around anymore. Her little boy is all grown up now. Yet... She can't stop herself from showing him her love the same ways still. She can't help herself from fixing his hair when there's a part out of place. She still calls him all the little nicknames she came up with for young him. She still buys him opal cufflinks and suit pins and more for his birthdays.

She also will still carry him to bed if he falls asleep around her. And I do mean will, she can be frighteningly strong when she wants to be.

Also this applies to Squalo, Bel, and Xanxus. But she does loves sharing those "embarrassing" stories parents will tell about their kids. Like odd games they played, silly mishaps they had, and things like that.

#katekyo hitman reborn #khr #khr oc #khr belphegor #khr squalo #khr xanxus #khr varia #this took me 4 hours to write lol

[wwinterwitch]

high infidelity — jack russell

summary: the heir of ulysses bloodstone has fallen for a monster pairing: jack russell x fem!bloodstone!reader word count: 3k tags: song fic, cheating, arranged marriage, family trauma, angst and fluff, happy ending (let me know if anything else should be added!) note: inspiration came from high infidelity by taylor swift, hence the name of this fic!

a reblog and/or comment really helps me out as a content creator so thank you in advance if you take the time to do either!

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You were miserable. Having to live in a mansion all by yourself, surrounded only by employers and your horrible stepmother. Forced to be a hunter because it was expected of you from the moment you were born.

As the daughter of Ulysses Bloodstone, you had to aspire to perfection. Nothing you ever accomplished seemed to be good enough, so you always had to just do better. From a very young age, you were reminded that no accomplishment will ever be enough.

There was no escape from your inevitable destiny. It doesn't matter if you want this life or not. You had to become a hunter and you must live up to your name. Had to make your father proud. Had to prove you're truly worthy of your birthright.

And you did, especially after your older sister fled and it was only you to continue the legacy. The entire pressure on your shoulders.

Maybe you should've escaped like she did. You'd be so much happier anywhere but here, but for some reason you stayed. Motivated by the ridiculous sense of responsibility, the love you had for your father despite his many flaws, or because this life is all you've ever known...you never knew what made you stay, but you did. And now you're doomed.

No one around you is in your team. Your father is far too worried about other stuff to really care about you. Your stepmother only sees you as some sort of toy or tool, so you only ever exist when she needs something from you. Other hunters expect your downfall so they can take your place. Your sister left you behind and never tried to contact you. It's been you against the world all your life.

You found some hope and comfort, as twisted as it might sound, in the news your father shared with you over dinner just a few months before he passed away: someone was interested in asking for your hand in marriage.

Of course you hated the idea of an arranged marriage, but maybe whoever was asking to marry you could become a true partner, someone to really be there for you. It wasn't ideal, but at least you'll stop feeling alone. After years of feeling like no one was truly there, you were practically begging for someone to show the slightest interest in you. As bad as it sounds, you were just desperately trying to clung onto anyone willing to hold you.

Once again, you were met with disappointment. The only sentiment you're allowed to feel in this life, apparently.

You had to meet your soon-to-be husband at a very awkward dinner. He was very handsome and a skillful hunter, and he looked genuinely interested in you from the moment he laid eyes on you, but it was clear to you that his interest existed for all the wrong reasons. From the very first exchange, you knew that he only cares about your last name.

Still, you tried to make it work. Maybe he can be a decent partner. Maybe he changes and genuinely falls in love with you when he gets to know you. Maybe it won't be that bad.

But that mindset didn't last very long, because things are entirely different now. You can't marry him and you can't stand the idea of having to spend every single day with him. To wake up next to him, to have a family with him, to pretend you're content with your life. You don’t want to try to be okay with any of this anymore.

It's impossible to give him a chance when your heart already belongs to someone else.

Before your engagement was announced, you had the pleasure of crossing paths with Jack Russell. He attended a meeting at the mansion and you happened to meet him there. The two of you talked almost all night, exchanging glances and quick smiles whenever you weren't directly interacting.

That's how it started. That's how you met the most wonderful man in the entire world. The most caring, loving, compassionate and dedicated man. He was captivated by you the second he met you, and you finally felt like someone sees you for who you are. He was interested in you for all the right reasons, and there was no way of staying away from each other after that night.

The feeling of being around him was intoxicating. To finally discover someone who genuinely cares. It was like you were living in this terrible world where everything was dark and lacked meaning, and he was the one who brought light to even the darkest of corners.

Every second away from him was absolute torture, but since no one in your life seemed to care enough to keep track on you, it was easy to sneak behind everyone’s back and be with him. That would explain why neither of you are currently in the big hall with the rest of the hunters that your stepmother invited.

You excused yourself to go upstairs to your bedroom claiming you weren't feeling good. Not so long after, Jack casually had to answer a very important phone call that forced him to leave the room as well. Truth is, he was also making his way upstairs to your bedroom.

And right now, with his lips pressed to yours and your hands tangled in his hair, life just makes sense. It's like you're not even there until he's around. Only he has the power to make you feel like this. Like he's bringing you back to life from the torture that is being the heir of Ulysses Bloodstone.

Jack didn't care about anything that had to do with your family. His love and admiration for you is so much deeper than that. Your team of one was finally welcoming a new member that you wanted to keep next to you forever.

But even when things with Jack were incredible, you often found yourself still feeling miserable because you really want things to be different. It's him the one you want to spend the rest of your life with. You want to be the one he looks for in a crowded room. You want to be the one he holds close at night. You want to be his reason why life's worth living.

You don't want to be a leader, or a hunter, or an heir. Jack was able to change your entire perspective when it came to hunting, showing you just how mistaken you were about 'monsters'. Now, the mere idea of hunting makes you sick to your stomach.

Needless to say, it was quite a shock to find out you had fallen for a werewolf. It was almost ironic, in fact. He trusted you with his secret almost immediately, wanting you to know all there is about him from the start. The fact that he immediately trusted a secret like that to a Bloodstone proved just how much he didn't care about your upbringing. He knew you were one of the good ones, that was unlucky enough to be surrounded by bad guys, forced to learn to behave like one because that's all you knew. Evidently, you never broke that trust and you kept his secret.

Still, it was a very big confession that he just threw your way barely fazed by the caliber of his words. Only when he noticed your expression, he looked worried– scared, even. He'd always get insecure about this side of him, so he immediately feared you were going to push him away.

"I'm sorry, I–" Jack tried, hoping to be able to reason with you. "I just did what I thought was right. I don't want secrets between us."

"I...I just don't understand. Aren't you a hunter?" was all you had to say. "I mean, how is that possible?"

"Was my acting that good?" he tried to joke, just to make the situation less awkward. "I'm not a hunter. Never was, never will be."

It was very strange at first. You never saw it coming, though you appreciated the fact that he was so open about it and willing to tell you right away despite the dangers that came with it.

And you could practically hear the cries of horror coming from your family because you didn't try to kill him the second he revealed he's a werewolf. Your father was probably rolling in his grave because his successor is fraternizing with the enemy (and doing a lot more than just basic cordiality). They'd probably kill you too if they ever find out about this.

Not like you care much about consequences, anyway. Not when you have Jack by your side. Nothing else matters compared to him. And if anyone tries to hurt him, you'll do whatever it takes to keep him safe.

You were extremely grateful that he was there to show you an entirely new perspective. He introduced you to many of his friends, all of them much friendlier than all the hunters you've met (a statement that definitely includes your family too). Your eyes were open to a new reality and it made you realize the true monsters are the ones staring back at you every single day. Your fiancée, your stepmother, the large portrait of your father staring down at you from above the large fireplace in the living room.

But worst of all was realizing that there was also a monster staring back at you whenever you were standing in front of the mirror.

"This is horrible," you had commented once. It was only you and Jack walking across the forest. The two of you just visited a few of Jack's friends. that were attacked by hunters a few days ago and decided to hide for a little while. "They're trying to live their lives and we're out here hunting them just because we feel like it? Because someone said they're dangerous and we just ran with it? It's not fair."

"You're not like the others," he reminded you. "Even they can tell."

"Yeah, but I used to be," you sighed, wishing you could just turn back time. "I did a lot of things I'm not proud of, Jack. Things you'd hate me for, and you have all the right to."

Jack forced you to stop walking, gently grabbing your hand to turn you around so you could look at him. His eyes were as soft as ever as he stared back at you. "You have the kindest heart I've ever known, mi amor. It was you who told me not to let my killings define me because I don't know any better, and right now I think you should listen to your own words," he finished with a sympathetic smile.

You barely nodded, guilt and regret still eating you from the inside, your mind filled with all of these memories of who you used to be. "I'm so sorry..." you muttered as Jack immediately pulled you in for a hug. "I'm so sorry..." you repeated, wrapping your arms around him.

"It's okay, baby. It's okay..." he says in a gentle voice, trying his best to comfort you. "You were willing to see things in a new perspective and now you've changed. That's all that matters."

From that day on, you swore things will change when and if you take over. No more ruthless hunting, just when and if it's necessary. Just when there's really a beast that needs to be stopped, and even then maybe killing them is too much. There's got to be a much humane way of dealing with them.

It was unclear how you'd be able to make that happen but, again, with Jack by your side you feel pretty invincible.

Unfortunately, Jack couldn't stay upstairs with you for too long. You laid in bed, still thinking about him. His lips exploring your neck and his hands eagerly roaming over your body. He left just a few minutes ago but you already miss him like you haven't seen him in decades. It was getting harder not to be around him whenever you want, making you think to yourself as you lay there just how long you'll be able to pretend this hunter lifestyle isn't slowly killing you.

The next day was pretty uneventful. If you closed your eyes long enough, you could still feel Jack's hands gripping your hips and listen to his whispers as he verbalized his love for you in the forms of "you're beautiful", "I could stay here with you forever" and "when did I get so lucky?".

You were so lost in your thoughts that you barely noticed your fiancée walking inside the room you were in. Suddenly, the book you were holding was the most important thing as you tried to act like you were reading instead of daydreaming.

"Feeling better today?" he asks, a hint of venom in his words. You figured he was just a little upset because you left to go to bed early, which is not what ‘the heir’ should do.

"Yes, a lot better. Thank you," you replied, looking up at him to give him a fake smile before looking back down at your book. Despite thinking that was the end of that, he stood in front of you, forcing you to look up again. "Is there something else I can help you with?" you asked, a little irritated that he's just standing there staring at you.

He looked more frustrated than ever. "I'd appreciate it if you could just tell me the truth for once, you know?"

Your stomach dropped, but tried to act like you had no idea what he was talking about. "What is that supposed to mean?"

He scoffed almost immediately. "You really think I'm that stupid? That I don't see the way he looks at you? Or how you two are always sneaking around behind everyone's back every chance you get?"

To say you were surprised would be an understatement. He knows? Oh, of course he knows, how could he not? But still, you wonder...how long has he known about you and Jack?

Before you could even ask, your partner spoke again. "I know you're seeing him. I know you're with him when you claim to go out on a 'hunting trip'. I know he gave you that necklace you always wear. I know you always run to him whenever you have the chance." You sat there in front of him completely speechless, which only encouraged him to continue. "What, you're not even gonna try to deny it?"

There was a quick pause.

"You said you wanted me to tell you the truth," was your cryptic reply, shrugging.

"So you are seeing him."

"Would it make any difference if I try to convince you otherwise?"

"Not really, but it'd be nice to know that you care at least a little about me– about us."

"Us?” you immediately say, almost as if the word was insulting to hear. “There is no us, don't you see?"

He gave you a look that showed you exactly how hurt he was, but after all this time knowing him, you couldn't shake off the feeling that he's not exactly hurting because he's realizing he completely lost you. He just lost his prize. "I loved you. I've been trying to make this work for both of us."

Perhaps he didn't even realize how much you were hurting while being in this arrangement, and he probably hasn't realized he's been loving you the wrong way.

"You really think something good could ever come out of this? I knew you were going to be my husband before I even met you in person. Can't you see how fucked up that is? We've been forced into this, there's no way love– true love, can grow in these circumstances."

"So you had to run to him?" he snapped. "He showed you what 'true love' is? Is that it? He gave you everything I never will?"

"Why are we even doing this?" you snapped, getting frustrated. "Do you really want to know every little detail there is about me and Jack?"

"I think I've noticed enough," he replied. "I can't believe you were capable of this."

"Well, sorry for not living up to the idea you made up in your head when you decided you wanted to marry me."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Did you ask my father to marry me because you actually wanted me, or was it because I was the easy way of accessing the Bloodstone legacy? Right now, to this day, the idea of permanently joining this family isn't one of the many reasons why you're here?" you confronted him, and obviously he didn't have much to say. "Haven't you been silent about me and Jack all this time just so you don't risk losing your place here?"

He didn't speak after that, so you stood up from your seat and walked closer to him. "I'm not proud of the way this unfolded, but Jack's the only person that has ever made me feel like I'm worth something beyond my last name and I deeply love him. What we have is the most precious thing I have right now, and I can't give that up."

His eyes traveled down to your hands when he noticed you were taking off your ring. You never really liked it anyway. Your stepmother picked it for you. Oh, how you absolutely despise that woman.

"Here," you continue as you hand him the ring, which he accepted with a perplexed expression. "You can have this, the mansion, the leadership, absolutely everything you wanted. I'm done trying to pretend like that's what I want."

"What are you doing?" he finally asks, turning to look at you as you're about to leave the room.

"I quit, basically," you say nonchalantly, like it was no big deal. To all the hunters out there it might be, but you couldn't care any less about this anymore.

He thankfully didn't stop you as you walked out of the room, still feeling the adrenaline rushing through your body. Did you really just say that? It wasn't one of those rants you do all by yourself? Those little moments you take to daydream of what it would be like to not be here living this life?

No. This is real. You're finally free.

With the biggest smile on your face, you rushed upstairs to gather your things and stuff them in suitcases as fast as you could, already starting to picture what freedom will be like. Just you and Jack, saving innocent creatures from the hunters, sharing your love for one another without anything standing in the way. You just couldn't wait to tell him about this.

#jack russell #jack russell x reader #jack russell x fem!reader #jack russell fic #werewolf by night #werewolf by night fic #mcu x reader #mcu fic

[bittersweetarts]

Little Lamb - Aemond Targaryen x Reader (Chapter 9)

Aemond Targaryen x You –  Chapter 1 

Word count: 4934 words

Summary: As a maiden of a noble house, it is your duty to wed well. But how will you manage to, with a curious and possessive Prince in the picture?

WARNINGS: Violence, misogyny, dub-con (kind of)

Spotify Playlist – AO3 Page

Chapter 9: The Tempest

When you woke, you did not expect it to be at the behest of anyone other than Aemond. Normally, you are the early riser and stumble out of bed at dawn, leaving the Prince to the sheets. However, your bearings at home are a little skewed, without the songbirds to wake you, and you anticipated that if you did not wake naturally, the gaudy Prince would do the job for you, as he had a penchant for kissing and inhaling the area around your neck whenever he woke, even briefly at odd hours of the night. You did not expect though, to hear the loud knocking and the voice of your sworn knight, spoken loudly and emotionlessly through the door.

“Your Grace, one of the daughters of the House, Lady Lauryn, is stood by the door and refuses to leave.”

At the mention of your sister, you quickly rouse out Aemond’s embrace, startled to hear her name. Memories from last night flood through your eyes and embarrassment consumes your emotions. Unlike you though, the Prince is a lot more quick on his feet, and in the matter of seconds, composes himself from his wake, quickly putting his eye mask on before striding to the door, opening it slightly so as to only show his face. You remain silent, sat up on the bed, observing the scene. You then realise that while you were still fully clothed, the same could not be said for the Prince, who had only his trousers left on. As he passed, Aemond’s expression was frighteningly irritated, but you remain calm, knowing that the Prince would not be cruel to a woman carrying child.

“Good morrow your Grace – sister – We will be breaking fast soon, I suggest that the two of you get ready and join us.” Lauryn spoke loudly and nonchalantly, not giving a care about the Prince nor his standing. Perhaps Aemond was not as composed as he appeared, for he did not even manage to respond before your sister spoke loudly again, her speech directed towards you.

“Steffon and father had taken Tommen and few others to go hunting, so I just you join us soon, before they come back. Or don’t, it does not matter to me all that much really, as long as no blood gets on my dress.” Lauryn pauses for a moment, and you wonder whether she is frightened of the prince now. “… although I suggest that you both are dressed decent.” You hear the door slam and have a feeling that it was not at the Prince’s bidding.

Turning around to face you, Aemond smiles brilliantly, surprising you, as it feels odd compared to his usual sullen expression.

“I am understanding now that your obstinacy is a family trait.”

You narrow your eyes in response and raise the fur blanket against yourself, in substitute of the warm body that left you.

“Shut up.” You retort, tugging yourself under the covers, concealing your face. Then, you feel a hard body join you, and by your bloodstone pendant chain, you are pulled into yet another embrace. Before he kisses you though, you put your hands on his hard chest, holding him off.

“Are you hungry?” You ask seriously.

The one-eyed Prince’s brows cross in confusion, before a side smile appears on his face. “I am. Not for food though.” Aemond’s hand press behind your neck now, and his other slips through your dress unnoticed, until you feel it caress the naked part of your smooth inner thighs teasingly, causing your breath to hitch. This was the reaction the one-eyed Prince hoped for, as evident by his satisfied expression.

“We should get you food though.” The Prince says, as his hand continues running across your soft thighs, rendering you speechless. You still slowly shake your head though, with defiance, and grab hold of his forearm, halting his actions.

“When can we leave?” You ask, knowing that you no longer have a place at home, if you can even call it that anymore. You were grateful for the Prince’s distractions, knowing that were he not here, you would be in hysterics. Your question though only serves to sober the Prince from his euphoric state.

“We can leave now, if you wish it.” You suddenly feel a cold spread through your thighs and realise that the Prince’s hand was now around your waist, while the other now softly caressed your cheek.

“I would prefer it if you rode with me though.” On Vaghar… not just a wild beast, but one which the infamous Queen Visenya Targaryen rode during Aegon's Conquest, more than a century ago. The notion of this terrified you, but as did the idea of facing your family after yesterday evening, the latter perhaps a bit more. And the more you thought of it, the less daunting the idea of being on a war dragon was. You were still apprehensive though.

“And what of my belongings?” You ask warily, closing your eyes. You both knew that your dresses and trinkets were not what worried you, and though Aemond found it endearing, he also sought to dispel your concerns.

“Ser Landor does have to make his way to King’s Landing eventually as well.” Aemond responds smiling, running his hand across your waist in a motion. “Do not worry about Vaghar, you have me.” As he speaks, his hand tenderly cups the side of your face, and you sigh, opening your eyes to face Aemond. His expression is delicate, and his eye soft with affection.

“Before we leave, can we go somewhere? It is not far, and we can stop by the kitchens to grab something to eat.” You ask, grasping his warm hands into yours, which were cold. This only serves to confuse him, evident by his slightly furrowed brows. As you answer his silent questions, his expression softens.

“I want to go walk by the sea… it’s my favourite place in the world.”

When he nods in response, you are overjoyed and kiss him, beaming. Your joy is contagious, infecting the Prince’s bloodstream as well. It is here that Aemond realised that he would be chasing this feeling, and by consequence your happiness, for the rest of his life.

Though dressed warm, armed with a heavy wool cloak, the cool winds still sting against your cheek. It was slightly painful, but you loved the fresh breeze of Shipbreaker Bay, and treasured the feeling of the sand scuffing under your boots. You were also thankful that there was no storm, which was uncommon in this region, but the clouds still hung heavy in the dimmed sky.

As you walked along the coastline with Aemond, near the seawater, you felt completely at ease. It did not matter to you that your dress was getting ruined by the damp mud, nor the fact that you were walking with the Prince alone, unchaperoned. It was still morning, and you knew exactly where to walk to avoid people (away from Storm’s End and the mountains, and towards flatter land).

It did not really matter though. If anyone saw you alone with the Prince, what could they say? That you were the Prince’s whore? That you were no longer a maiden? That you are a disgrace to your family? It has all been said anyways, and the only one who could actually hurt you now was probably walking with you now.

The two of you walked leisurely, you admiring the view of the landscape, which was animated with the violent ocean waves and a sky which seemed to be in melancholy, meanwhile the Prince was admiring you.

Aemond Targaryen could not comprehend his compulsion with you, and has spent many sleepless nights laying with you, watching you as you slept, wondering why it was you that had summoned his obsession. Though you considered yourself plain in appearance, the one-eyed Prince found you beautiful, but so were many other ladies at court and across the lands. He wondered whether it was circumstance, simply you being there at the right moment, when his family was vulnerable and needed someone like you the most. But then why could he not let go of you, and forget about you?

Aemond did at first expect that he would bed you and forget you after, and he does enjoy a challenge. Yet countless times, he has let opportunities pass by and has restrained himself from having his way. After all, his brother, Aegon, has gotten away with committing far worse atrocities unscathed, so what would it matter if you were to become a victim of his.

Instead, Aemond found himself scavenging time in his busy day to see you, even briefly. He found himself trying to think of ways to bring a smile to your face, of which book you may enjoy and what gift was worthy of you. Instead of having his way with you, as he desired, Aemond found himself fending off countless potential suitors, and even his own brothers, who have made their interest in you beyond clear through countless lewd comments. Instead, Aemond caught himself in moments of delusion, imagining a life where the two of you would be surrounded by many young children running around… It was absurd! Aemond never cared about anyone like this, never even thought of marriage as anything other than a political tool. In his youth, Aemond did feel remorse that his older sister married someone so unworthy as the insipid Aegon and wondered what it would be like if it were him that was married to Helaena.

But to actually desire a union, to share a life with someone? No, Aemond never believed he would wish for anything such as this. The one-eyed Prince was deeply scarred by his past, and accepted that he was unworthy of love, so he opted for brutality instead. For who can hurt you if you hurt them first?

Unfortunately for him, the Seven decided to return that brutality in the form of you, a woman from a forgettable house who had a unintentionally made a family devoid of affection grow to love her.

Similarly to Aemond Targaryen, you craved deep affection. Growing up, you always felt isolated and alone despite always being around others, and instead found company in the books you read. Stories of the past, stories about affection and yearning, you found amity in it all. You hoped for a marriage which had some shared affection, and a family of your own which you would love unconditionally. But hope was not promise, which you knew all too well.

“Why are you good to me?”

You suddenly halt when you ask your question. As you did, the winds screeched around and the sand beneath your boots harshly rasped. Aemond, who had kept a respectful distance from you during the walk, stopped and turned to face you, his expression was blank. Despite having grown up in a hot climate, he did not suffer with the harsh weather here, and it actually suited his character.

“What do you mean?” His eyes furrow again in confusion. The wind blew in his hair, and some stray blonde pieces flew around his face.

“I don’t understand.” You say, stepping closer to him, keeping your hands clasped behind you.

“I don’t understand you. When we first met, you were unkind to me. Cruel. But now, you are good to me. Why?”

“I am the same as I have always been.” Aemond responds roughly, his voice devoid of tone. He knew that there was some subtle shift in his character, at least around you, and he knew that this was a weakness that he could not admit it. He did not wish to push you away, but neither was he ready to expose himself completely to you, and to others.

Exhaling, you yield, choosing not to test his patience. Instead, you take a step forward, closer to him, and reach up, to caress his face. Your fingers trace over his mask, which he insisted on keeping on, and you stay like this for a heartbeat, the only noise around you coming from the harsh sea and the roaring winds.

“We will really be wed?” You ask unsurely, frowning, as you did not believe it. You cannot understand what the Prince gains out of this, and rather loses a lot by aligning himself with you.

“You are clever, so why ask silly questions?” Aemond responds lightheartedly, smiling while looking down at you, before pressing his lips onto your hair and forehead. As he did, you could not help but shiver from his warm contact against your cool skin. Perhaps you had become accustomed to King Landin’s warm weather, because you could not help but hug the Prince around his waist, housing yourself in his warmth. The blonde gladly returned your embrace, wrapping his arms around you, pulling you in tighter.

You did not know whether you actually wanted to marry the Prince, but you did want to belong somewhere, so why not to him?

“Your family cannot be happy about this,” you mumble against him. Surely, they do not approve of this match, or the idea of angering allies. You expect the Prince to pull away from you in irritation, to snap at you, but he does not.

“My family can say nothing. I have given up too much for our House, I will not give you up too.” He says solemnly, resting his chin on your head. Though he spoke with surety, your worries do not ease. Shaking his head off you, you tilt your chin up to face him.

“You do not have to give me up.” Your voice chokes as you pause for a moment, preparing yourself for what you are about to offer.

“… I can be your paramour–” Mid-sentence, the Prince’s face contorts into shock and his hands swiftly move to your shoulders, gripping you tightly. He attempts to interrupt you, but you hold your ground, continuing to speak, ranting as you do.

“Stop Aemond! I do not want to be responsible for ill will or for starting conflict. I have known Lady Floris Baratheon since she was little, and Lord Borros is a brute and unyielding. I have nothing to offer and have done nothing to deserve your affection.”

You did not realise that you began crying until you feel the stinging sensation of the harsh winds cutting against your cheek. As you breathe heavily through your nose, the Prince runs the back of his hand against your cheeks, wiping away the tears that continued spilling.

“There is no need to be dramatic,” Aemond says, smiling whilst maintaining his composure. “Borros is a greedy man, and his forgiveness can be bought. With time, your family will forgive you as well. No wars or conflict will occur because of a marriage.” Grabbing hold of your chin, the one-eyed Prince tilts your head up to kiss you, his lips warm against your own, which are cool and damp. “All that I desire is you, and it is I that is undeserving of your affection.” As Aemond speaks tenderly, you feel at a loss for words, not knowing what to say. The Prince’s callous fingers now roughly trace your open mouth, his nails scratching against your skin.

“… But like Borros, I am a greedy man. I do not care about what I do or do not deserve, and I tend to get what I want.” Staring at Aemond’s sharp violet eye, you are reminded that though you feel safe with him now, he is still a dangerous man. A dangerous man that you have realised that you have grown to care for.

Still maintaining eye contact with him, you grab hostage of the finger that is exploring around your lip, your upper teeth biting down against it, though not painfully. A familiar expression washes over the Prince, one that is carnal, and you wonder whether you had taken it too far. You did not know what you were doing anymore, and now, you have begun to act thoughtlessly. As you begin to take more of his long finger inside of your mouth, Aemond hums in disapproval and pulls away. This only serves to frustrate you further.

“Is this not what you want?” You ask exasperated, confused about his reaction. He continuously declares that he wants you, demonstrates it even, yet when you reciprocate, he retreats.

“More than anything.” Aemond responds with a sad smile. This only serves to confuse you further. Stepping forward and pressing yourself against him, you grab his face with your hands. You bring your face forward, pressing your lips against his, and the kiss is soft at first. Slowly though, you become more daring and try to coax your tongue against his. As you do, you feel your hair roughly tugged from behind, a burning sensation spreading through your scalp. Another hum of disapproval sounds against your mouth and Aemond pulls away.

“If I start, I will not stop.” Aemond speaks, still tugging on your hair. Though it hurt, you could not summon any anger for it, and stared at the Prince wide-eyed, trying to even your breathing. Unlike you though, Aemond’s stamina did not falter.

“I would love nothing more than to take you now. To fuck you senseless right here, for anyone to see. To leave so many marks on your body that others would think that you were mauled by a rabid animal.” As he spoke, you began to tremble, but not out of fear. The Prince’s face was now touching yours, and you shared each other’s breath. “To make you stare at me as I bury myself deep within you … To force your pretty little mouth to say the ugliest words.” Aemond then abruptly pulled back and let go of your hair, though he still firmly held your waist.

“I still will. Do not doubt me, my love.” Exhaling, Aemond begins slowly walking, pulling you with him. In the heat of his embrace, you completely forget how cold it is, and now the winds seem especially harsh.

“We should go. You can say goodbye to your family and have some food, then we will travel back home.”

Home. You know that by home, Aemond is referring to King’s Landing, and you realise that the capitol going to be your home now on. You can no longer call the place where you grew up as your home, nor the people who you grew up with. This thought left a bitter taste in your mouth, and you tried to ignore it.

It has been some odd hours since you left for your walk with Prince Aemond Targaryen, and returning back to Thunder Fort made you nervous. Aemond insisted that the two of you could just leave, and that Vaghar was resting on a nearby mountain, but you knew that you would never forgive yourself if you failed to say goodbye to your family due to cowardness.

What you did not expect was for some your family to be crowded at the courtyard, in a manner similar to that of your arrival. The only difference being that all of your youngest siblings were absent, and the greeting was not nearly as genial. Some servants and lower members of court hovered around, but maintained a distance.

As the Prince and you walked in, his hand still fastened to your waist, you could see the looks of concern and worry on many faces. You could also feel a shift in the Prince’s demeanour, a threatening air now present his countenance. You, on the other hand, felt incredibly uncomfortable.

In hindsight, you and the Prince probably should not have been so close to one another, and perhaps you should have been the first to greet your family. But as you approached closer to them, dread washed over you and you found yourself silent as a mouse. As the two of you approach, you immediately notice your eldest brother’s livid expression.

“Your shame has no bounds.”

Tommen spat out. As he did, you noticeably flinched, which only served to transform the Prince’s quiet threats into visible fury. The hand at your waist clenched tighter, almost hurting you.

“Say another word, and I will have your tongue, Little Lord. Make no mistake.” Aemond said maliciously.

You watch the Prince’s side profile as he spoke, his anger only scaring you more. When you turn to face Tommen, you see him open his mouth to retort, but the one-eyed Prince interrupts him before he manages to, his tone menacing.

“One more word, and I will gift your tongue to your sister.”

At the mention of you, Vaghar’s vicious growl echoed, reminding everyone present of the power the Targaryens hold. The House of the Dragon was after all not like all us other men after all. Instinctively following the scary cry, you inched closer towards Aemond, dropping your gaze to the ground.

“Sister, we have arranged a union for you,” assertively declared Steffon. Immediately, your eyes jump to him and you feel fingers dig into your waist. Before the Prince manages to respond however, you see your pregnant sister, Lauryn, elbow Steffon, demanding him to shut up.

“I would heed your sister’s advice,” the Prince warned in a menacing tone. Once again, you are at a loss for words, confused. A marriage? They found someone for me to wed?

Unfortunately, Steffon chose not to listen and continued, despite the protests of Lauryn and your Lady Mother, who also pleaded for him to stay quiet.

“No! She does not even know of this because you do not let her read our letters or to visit the Keep. It is not up to the Royal Family or a Targaryen Prince to decide the affairs of our house!”

To your brother’s credit, he did not cower when the Prince pulled away from you and briskly strode towards him in fury. As Aemond did though, you sprinted, clasping yourself around his waist and begged him to stop, in a poor attempt to hold him back. You could feel him shaking in anger, failing to maintain his composure. Similarly, Lauryn and your parents placed themselves in front of Steffon, and it was this barrier that stopped the Prince.

“Please, do say more, Lord Steffon.” Aemond spat out in a mocking manner. “In your letters, you failed to mention who this supposed suitor is, do tell – We’ll be sure to visit on our way back to King’s Landing and burn down their home, their families along with it.” This had managed to finally silence Steffon, as well as everyone else present. You could hear muffled sobbing coming from Tommen’s lady wife, who also wrapped herself around Tommen in an attempt to hold him back.

“Let’s leave.”

Your shrill voice echoes across the courtyard. You were holding the Prince tightly from behind, your hand clasped together so tightly in front of him that they ached. You feel a large hand cover yours, separating them. As this happens, you realise that the Prince was no longer shaking so violently, and you release a bated breath. The Prince then turns around to face you, but you avoid his gaze, staring at your family.

Those who remained completely silent included Tommen’s lady wife and Lauryn’s husband, Lord Brandon Stark. Patently, they saw that this was not their placed to speak. But your father? You now understand that your father has truly become a shell of who he used to be, and you wonder what has changed. Was it you and your predicament that has caused him so much grief, that has altered him so utterly?

“Let’s leave.” Aemond repeated after you, placing a firm hand on your shoulders to guide you away.

You followed, understanding that you had no place here with your family anymore. As you turned you see Ser Landor standing not too far, with a hand on the sword hung on his side, his face completely neutral, no trace of sympathy or sadness at what was happening. He was not your companion after all, but you had once hoped that maybe you would find some friendship with him, since he was always around. Keeping your eyes down, you slowly walk away with the Prince, understanding that you would get no heartfelt goodbye from your family, nor even see your youngest siblings.

As the two of you, accompanied with Ser Landor, near the bridged gateway, you hear you name called out, and you abruptly turn around, much to the dismay of the Prince. Lightly trotting with a hand on her bump, you see Lauryn approach, her husband following her warily from behind. You know that it is because she is alone that Aemond loosens his grip on you, much to your surprise. You glance up at him with pleading eyes, and though his jaw is tight, the blonde nods at you, giving his approval. Letting a breath out, you pull away and swiftly sprint the small distance to her.

As the two of you reach, you wrap your arms around her, embracing her tightly. You can now feel your eyes water, but Lauryn remains composed, pulling away from you slightly, softly speaking into your ear.

“Sister, you are not alone, do not forget. Our brothers are men now and men are always controlled by their egos.”

Your sister avoids your gaze, staring behind you, at Aemond you assume. Pulling you in again, she whispers into your ear, not giving you an opportunity to respond.

“Please listen. Emissaries from Winterfell have been marching for months now and will be at King’s Landing in the coming weeks – ” You hear Aemond call your name out in an impatient tone and you unconsciously pull away from Lauryn, frowning as you stared at her. This does not faze your headstrong sister however.

“You are not alone. I do not understand your circumstance, but should you need aid, House Stark will not abandon my dearest sister.” As she speaks lowly, a tear falls and she gently wipes it away, looking at you sadly. You hear your name called out again, this time much more closely and as you turn, you come to face the Prince, who looks at you concerned.

“What did you say to her?” Aemond says fervently, slipping a rough hand around your waist pulling you to him.

“She said nothing!” You exclaim, whilst trying to choke down your sobs. You do not look at Lauryn again, but hope that she is more composed than you are. Grabbing hold of his free hand, you pull it and step away.

“Let’s go, your Grace.” You insist, but Aemond does not move, still glaring at your sister.

“Do not make me repeat myself. I have held you in high regard thus far, Lady Lauryn.” Aemond cautions in a intimidating tone. As you turn around, you see that your family has approached all of you, and Lord Brandon has come up to Lauryn, placing himself before her.

“You dare make threats to a woman with child? Have you no integrity?” The Northman declares in a deep coarse voice, brim with conviction. This only serves to silence the Prince, who you could see was deciding his course of action.

“Aemond, please – let us leave.” You beg once again, pulling on his hand. For a moment, Aemond surveys your family, making silent judgments, before turning around and pulling you by your waist, effortlessly lifting you of your feet and carrying you as if you were a bride.

Instinctively, you want to yell at Aemond for hoisting you, but when you look at the one-eyed Prince breathing heavily with his composure slipping, you opt to remain silent and to close your eyes, laying your head onto his hard chest. You can hear some protests, but they quickly disappear, as Aemond rapidly walks away. As you lay against him, you feel his chest heavily rise and fall, and you press your lips against him after few moments have passed, after feeling certain that you were far from your family.

As you sit with your thoughts, you wonder why no one cared enough to actually stop Aemond. You knew that you were being unreasonable though. What could they do? Either way you were leaving with the Prince, you knew that you had no place at your House anymore. But they were still your family. The Prince was quick to anger when it came to you, you now understood very well, so you chose to let him take you without protest, at least to protect them.

Turning up to face him, you stare at Aemond, and see him staring sharply ahead, his face tense and angular. You gently raise your right hand, to soft touch his face, tracing your fingers across his jaw. As you do, Aemond looks down at you, his face still expressionless, apart from his nostrils, which were still flaring in anger. Despite this, he is the first to break the silence. As he did, you realise how faint you had felt, and felt almost grateful that the Prince was carrying you.

“We have still some ways to go. Vaghar could not stay close to your home or Storm’s End, so she is resting on the side of one of the mountains near.” Letting out a breath, you nod, but remain silent. You know that Aemond wanted you to say something, but you did not know what to say. You had felt overwhelmed, and now you felt empty. This time, when you closed your eyes, you drifted off.

Author’s Note: Sincere apologies for taking ages with the update! I have rewritten this chapter multiple times, and if I'm being honest, I am still not entirely satisfied with it. I still hope you enjoyed it, and that you have a lovely weekend!

Also, for those that have been recommending this story in TikTok comments, thank you! I spend way too much time on that app and it feels so surreal every time I see Little Lamb mentioned, I literally have an out-of-body experience

– Chapter 10

Tags: girl-obsessed-with-things 404slayer404 moonmaiden1996 rosaryos  roseanimelover jovialfanatic wishfulwithwine missusnora maat-the-prescriptive  @let-love-bleeds-red​​ shnadaidas klutzyfreak mistalli pearlstiare nctma15 weepingfashionwritingplaid ihaveadogithink verycollectivecreator @thelibraperspective​ eddies-bat-tattoos marcs-luver kpopdistoyedmylife-blog solacestyles lonadane

#aemond targaryen #aemond #aemond targaryen x reader #Aemond the Kinslayer #aemond targaryen x you #fanfiction #hotd #house of the dragon #aemondtargaryen!thots

[allkordelia]

Keep Me in Your Thoughts (15)

The celebration was already in full swing as the lords and ladies of the serpent islands drink and socialize with each other. Some even from westeros came from what Daemon saw, he remembered the surpised looks they gave him when he walked in with baelor and his little friend close by him. Before he could go over they scattered away, he frown at display but he shrugged it off and followed baelor and marra around waiting for the queen's arrival.

"Prince Daemon?"

Daemon froze at the familiar voice and turned to see lord hobert with his wife and childern, lord hobert gave a polite smile as he came closer making daemon look him up and down.

"Lord Hightower, I am surpise to see you here." Daemon look down he felt a presents and saw baelor and marra come stand to his left side.

"I can say the same for you, we heard what happened to you lady-wife, we are so sorry for your loss." Daemon clenched his jaw to keep from showing his confusion and shock.

"Thank you, lord hightower." The older man bowed his head before leaving with his family.

A feeling of relief passed through Daemon, the old harlot was dead he was free, a smile slowly creeped onto his lips.   A neutral look appeared when he looked at baelor and marra giving him odd looks, he shrug it off before walking  through the crowd towards the table of food, baelor and Marra shared a look before following after him. The trio made it to the table, the back of Aeron was facing them as he talked to Valaena. The princess noticed daemon and others making her smile over aeron's shoulder, making the prince turn to see what she was looking at and gave a look of disdain when he saw daemon.

"Your still here." Valaena hit Aeron's arm with the back of her hand at his rudness.

"Nice to see you too, Ironheart." Daemon slap the prince's shoulder as he pass by to go to the table.

"Don't call me that." Aeron spat annoyed.

"Why not? You should be proud of your nickname, many great kings have them." Aeron gave them eyeroll as he empty his cup in his mouth before a servant pour him more.

"King Aeron Ironheart Velfrey. It fits." Baelor said to himself before looking at his brother with a amuse look.

"Why did they nickname you, Ironheart?" Marra asked looking at Aeron, the young prince shook his head.

"It was a joke–"

"Don't lie to the child, boy." Daemon says giving a aeron a mockingly stern look before he look to the young girl, "They called him Ironheart, because when he was in the stepstones. He fought with the strength of a thousand dragons and he showed no mercy to our enemies, as he cut through them like a hot knife to butter." Aeron was gulping down his mead as he rolled his eyes at daemon, marra looked enliven at tale.

"What is war like?" Marra asked Daemon.

"Horrific."

"Thrilling." Aeron glared at Daemon as he stare back at the tongue prince.

"Now, who's lying now, cousin." Daemon gave a eyeroll.

"We all have our perceptive of war, the prince founds it unnerving while I found it exciting." Daemon smile looking Marra who was grinning.

"That's because your insane." Corwyn came up from the side pushing pass baelor who glare at his back as the green eye prince grabbed a goblet from the table.

"Rich coming from you, corwyn. You nearly killed half of our men on your ship, when you rammed head first into the enemies vassal." Corwyn grin at the memory.

"Did I not give you and my brother enough time to sail to Bloodstone, we all must make sacrifices in war, daemon. You taught us that." Corwyn raised his cup to Daemon before taking a gulp, Daemon grunt, sometimes daemon wished he never taken corwyn under his wing.

The boy was a deadly mixture of otto and daemon, he was reckless and dangerously smart. If corywn had it his way he would have taken the stepstones from daemon and turn it into an empire, the boy had ideas that could have saved them time and supplies but could have cost them too many lives.

"One of my biggest mistakes," he mumbled making aeron give a look of agreement.

The sound of trumpets caught the group making them turn their attentions over to the double doors opening, daemon dropped the tart in his hand on to the plate and walk ahead before being followed by valaena and her siblings. He pushed through the crowds not caring about the scowls they were giving him as he made it to the front to see Rhaelle, the air that was in his lungs felt like they were sucked out when he saw Rhaelle walk up to the platform.

She was breathe taking. The shining gold like gown, she wore made her beautiful skin glow. She was graceful when she walk like she was cloud floating through the sea of people, and her smiles so bright, so welcoming, so sweet and lovely. It was hard to take your eyes off of her. Daemon watched as her eyes scan over the sea of people, when her gaze caught his stare. A familial glint flicker it's way through her eyes, making her look away swiftly and put her lock of hair behind her ear.

"Good gods man. Close your mouth." Corwyn whispered as he stood next to him with his older brother and sister on his other side, a stifled giggle came from Valaena and Marra at the display making daemon snap his mouth close and caused a heat crawled up his neck.

The room went quiet at Rhaelle raised hand, "Welcome lords and ladies of the isles, it gave me great pleasure to invite you all here to celebrate the return of my boys." Rhaelle smiled as she and everyone clapped, Aeron gave a bashful smile as he nod his to the men near them as they put him and corwyn on the back, Corwyn gave a nonchalantly eyeroll as he went back to drink out his cup.

"As well as, Prince Daemon..." Rhaelle squeezed her hands together nervously as she look over at Daemon who looked surpised, "He brought my boys home, so for that gratitude." She smiled gratefully towards the prince making him bow his head towards her, she soon turn back to the crowd with a huge smile. 

"Thank you all again for coming, please enjoy the rest of the celebration." She beamed to the crowd making them cheer as she step down from the platform to greet the lords and ladies waiting for her.

Rhaelle made her way through the crowd with smiles and small talk, she wanted to get to her family as quick as possible but she sensed that would be hellish with how much the lords which to talk to her about marriage.

The targaryen prince could see rhaelle getting close, he told the childern to stay with valaena without looking at them as he move to make his way through the crowd towards rhaelle. Some got out of his way as he pass through, he caught rhaelle's eye who looks to be weary of the men that surround her. She nods as she moves along as more people greet her, she saw daemon comjng through the crowd. She couldn't believe it, but she truely hope he would shove through the people to get her even though he us the last person. She wants to see after what happened earlier, even though the kiss lasted for a milisecond she could still feel his soft lips against her cheek.

Daemon was right behind a lord who was talking to rhaelle about his eldest son and daughter, he saw rhaelle tight smile making reminding him of his grandmother. The way the late monarch would purse her lips into a smile, when she is fed up with listening to men speak to her about politics or marriage. He gave a amuse smile when he saw rhaelle roll her eyes when the lord left with his wife, rhaelle gave daemon a enervated smile as the white-haired man walk up to her.

He was stopped in his tracks by a man with brown hair and a green cape, daemon glared at the back of the man' head. Who looks to know the queen very well with how rhaelle was smiling from ear to ear, and squeezing his arm with a faint smile. Daemon watch the interaction with great displeasure and  when the man finally turn with rhaelle, daemon looked at the man with disdain he should of known.

"Prince Daemon, I didn't see you there, how have you been?" Gwayne Hightower spoke with sincerity making daemon want to roll his eyes.

"Ser Gwayne. I am well." He didn't spare the knight a second glance as he looked at rhaelle, who stood quiet as she watch.

"My queen," rhaelle look at daemon, "You honored me with your speech, and may I say you look gorgeous." He says, he took hold of her hand swiftly before pressing a kiss on the back of it, making her narrow her eyes at him gently as he lips stayed there for a moment before he pulled away.

"You are too kind, prince daemon." She took back her hand and use her thumb to rub over the spot he kissed, this is his second time catching her off guard at this point, she should just avoid him all together with how easy she letting him get away with these things.

Daemon grin noticing her rubbing the spot on her hand, he held out his arm for her to take after he mentioned taking her to her childern.

"You don't mind if I come with m'lady, it been ages since i seen my brothers and sister." Gwayne says as he stood in front of her  next to daemon, making the prince clench his jaw and look at the knight with irritation.

"I don't see why not, they are your siblings after all." She smiled at him before moving past them as they watch, Daemon's eye wonder down to her backside with a smirk before looking back up.

He heard a sound from gwayne to find the boy doing the same thing, daemon growled making gwayne look away from rhaelle to daemon to see the older prince glaring at him. Daemon walked ahead blocking gwayne as he followed rhaelle, daemon never moved from his spot from behind her, he walk with her close like a guard dog. Whenever a lord would delay them on their path, he would shot them a hard glare making them cower away. He didn't move away when she stop in front of her childern, he still looked out for men who would bother them.

As he stood guard he could feel someone watching him, he glance around until his sights landed on a disheveled man who looks to be glaring right at daemon. He never seen the man before but than again daemon never really was the type to remember faces, he nudge rhaelle when the man started coming their way.

Rhaelle looked at Daemon before seeing Gerold walk towards her, she put on a polite smile when he walk to her.

"Lady Rhaelle." He bow his head at her making her do the same.

"Lord Royce, I am happy you could make it. I am so sorry to hear about your cousin." He reach his hand out and rhaelle took it as she squeeze it in comfort, Gerold thanked her as he squeeze her hand back but the look of sadness was soon replace with displeasure at the sight of daemon.

"Prince Daemon." Gerold lets go of the queen's hand and held his fist by his side as he stare down the prince.

"Ser Reginald." Gerold jaw tensed.

"Gerold." Daemon grunt before muttering out an 'apologies.

Rhaelle looked between the man as they stare each other down, she could feel the tension between the two making her worry.

"Do we have a problem?" Daemon finally asked as he raise his brow at the man.

"I don't know, do we?" He spits back in anger, daemon step closer sizing gerold up, he glance rhaelle who looked worried at him and gerold.

"I have no problem with you, ser royce." Daemon look back at the man as he step back, gerold didn't look to be backing down.

"No, but you did have one with my cousin, did you not." He says making daemon glare at him.

"Me and Rhea haven't seen or spoken to each since our wedding, so I can't have a problem with someone who I don't even interact with." Gerold hum nodding his head.

"Which means killing her would have been easy for you, wouldn't it rogue prince." Rhaelle's eyes widen at the Gerold's words, she looked towards the childern telling them to go to bed.

"But, mother–"

"Don't argue with me. Go." She said stern watching the childern leave, she turn to ser rewan who was next to valaena and corwyn, "Make sure they get to their rooms." Rewan nods and follow after the girl and boy.

"Are you mad?" Rhaelle turn back to daemon and gerold as he stare at the man with fire in his eyes.

"Lord Gerold, you and I know that is a drastic accusation," the older lord turn his attention to the queen.

"Is it? Your cousin does have a reputation, m'lady. I wouldn't put it pass him if he killed her for her inheritance." Daemon scolded.

"I barely like going to that boring shithole you called a home in the first place, and you think I would want to claim her lands. I rather fuck your sheep." Gerold growled and putting his hand on the halt of his sword making daemon glare at him, rhaelle stood between the man putting her hand on daemon's chest when he stepped forward.

"No! Not here. Not under my roof. No in front of my family." She snapped looking at daemon before gerold, "I understand you are grieving, my lord. I know how close you were to rhae, but daemon had nothing to do with the death of rhea royce."

"How would you know? He could easy flew that red beast from here and back within hours without you noticing." Rhaelle glance away at daemon before swallow looking at Gerold, you didn't realize your hand was still on daemon's chest making you remove it quickly.

Rhaelle motion gerold to the side making him give her a reculant look making her plead with her eyes, he look at daemon with a sharpe look before being pulled to the side with rhaelle. Daemon watch with narrow eyes as the queen and lord talk, he pulled his eyes away when he notice many people looking at him including gwayne and the triplets. He started to feel his skin crawl making him  swiftly stalk away, he heard valaena called after him as he make his way to servant with a tray with wine.

@cleverzonkwombatsludge @beggarsnotchoosey @green-lxght @supermassiveblackhope @avidreader73 @stormgirlfriendd @watercolorskyy

#daemon targaryen x reader #daemon targaryen x oc #daemon targaryen x y/n #daemon targaryen imagine #daemon targaryen smut #daemon x reader #daemon targaryen x female reader #daemon targaryen x you #daemon targaryen x black!reader #black!reader #black oc #x black reader #black reader #blackoc #xblack!reader #x black!oc #x black!fem!reader #x black!reader #x black fem reader #house of the dragon imagine #hotd imagine #hotd fanfic #hotd oc

[andromedasdomain]

Samhain

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧From the evening of Tuesday, October 31st, 2023 – Wednesday, November 1st, 2023.✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

The period of time to release anything that is holding us back. A time when the spirit veil is thin and the spirits of our deceased loved ones are close to our physical realm. This is the perfect time for us to communicate with the universe and any ancestor you miss. Here are some ideas on how to spend your Samhain and how to decorate your altar!

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧ Activities✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧ ✦Have a bonfire ✦Give fall offerings ✦Engage in divination -- Past, Present, and Future spread. ✦Host a dinner ✦Make Moon Water ✦Set out a portion of your feast at your altar

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧ Altar Decorations✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧ Crystals: ✦Amethyst ✦Black Obsidian ✦Citrine ✦Bloodstone ✦Serpentine ✦Black Tourmaline Herbs: ✦Mugwort ✦Cinnamon ✦Rosemary ✦Roses ✦Bay Leaves Decorations: ✦Pumpkin ✦Cauldron ✦Pictures of passed loved ones ✦Fall Leaves ✦Crescent Moon figurines ✦A statue or figurine of the deity/deities you worship Personally, I have a statue of Freyja on my altar and my preferred method of divination is reading my runes. I hope this season brings you harmony and prosperity and that you have a great Samhain! Bless be!

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

#wheel of the year #sabbats #hedge witch #green witch #baby witch #witch tips #rune reading #grimoire #tarot spread #divination #samhain #freyja #ancestors #altar #crystals #healing crystals #prosperity #spooky season #fall season #autumn #ancestor work #full moon #beginner witch #day of the departed #book of shadows

[talonabraxas]

Quetzalcoatl Talon Abraxas

Quetzalcoatl: “precious feathered serpent” from quetzalli, “precious feather,” and coatl, “snake”

The Story of Quetzalcoatl

Quetzalcoatl was born of the virgin Chinmalman in the Toltec city of Tollan. The God Above Gods known as “The Morning” descended and breathed upon her, and she conceived. She died when giving birth, and went to the heaven of heroes who died in battle and women who died in childbirth.

Her son was born able to speak and was filled with knowledge and wisdom. He was fair skinned and when grown had a white beard. He became the priest-king of Tollan and brought the nation great prosperity and peace. He taught his people all the arts, music, and dance; he established the priesthood and created the Aztec calendar; he reformed the religious practices and outlawed human sacrifice; he domesticated animals, discovered maize, and more.

His temple-palace was of four sections: the East was golden; the South was white with shells and pearls; the West, blue of turquoise and jade; and the North, red of bloodstone. A giant river that flowed through Tollan passed directly under this palace so that Quetzalcoatl could descend every night to bathe in its pure waters.

After a lifetime work for his people, the time came for his predestined fall and he did not evade it.

The reforms that he had brought had made him many enemies. Those who practiced human sacrifices plotted to do away with Quetzalcoatl. But they knew that if they killed him he would gain more followers so they planned to discredit him.

To his palace came a young magician named Tezcatlipoca carrying a mirror wrapped in rabbit skin (the animal who is seen in the Moon). He said to the palace servants, “Tell your master I am here to show him his own flesh.”

When Quetzalcoatl received him, the youth uncovered the mirror and said, “Look upon yourself! See yourself as you are seen!”

When Quetzalcoatl saw his aged and sore-ridden face, he was appalled and wondered how any could see him without shock.

Tezcatlipoca had brought a potion made from the agave plant by the goddess Mayahuel (the alcoholic drink pulque); he offered it the aged king and said it would make him young again, but Quetzalcoatl claimed he was ill and would not drink it. But Tezcatlipoca pressed him merely to taste it with the tip of his finger; he did so, and was overcome. He took the bowl and drank and became drunk. He then called for his sister Quetzalpetlatl who also drank of the potion and was overcome. The two then sank together in a fit of drunken passion, and Quetzalcoatl fell into disgrace.

At dawn, the humiliated king said, “I have sinned. I am not fit to rule.” He burned his palace, buried his treasures in the earth, and left.

“And so greatly did (the Toltecs) believe in their priest Quetzalcoatl, and so greatly obedient and given to the things of their God, and so fearful of God, all believed in Quetzalcoatl when he left Tula… And so much did they trust Quetzalcoatl that they went with him; they entrusted upon him their wives, their children, their sick ones. They stood up, they set off, the old men, the old women, no one ceased to obey; all set off.” - Chimalpopoca Codex

After awhile, he stopped to rest and looked back at the City of the Sun, Tollan, and he wept. His tears went into the rock, and he left there an imprint of his sitting and his palms.

In his journeys, he had many adventures and misfortunes. Most notably, he made an arrow of a pochotl tree and fired it into another pochotl tree, forming the sign of Quetzalcoatl: a cross.

Thus he passed though the land leaving many signs and marks behind him until he arrived at the place where the land, sky, and water come together. He then sailed away on a raft of serpents. In another version of the story he cast himself into a funeral pyre; from the burning body his heart escaped, and after four days he reappeared as the Morning Star.

From then it was said that he would return from the East with a fair-faced retinue to resume his reign, restoring Tollan to its lost glory.

-Aztec Christic Magic

[gay-dorito-dust]

Can I request a Jack Russell x protective fem reader mini-shot.

(maybe she’s like Buffy? A mildly supernatural hunter) with prompts 37 & 40?👀

Prompt list

Prompt 37 & 40 - “get away from him/her/them before I break every bone in your body.” & “are you implying that you want to kiss me?”

After reverting back to his human form, you had quickly come to realise the drawbacks Jack faced after his nightly activity. He became weak with fatigue, his joints would aching as his muscle screamed from over exerting himself. Whilst his physical body was in desperate need of rest, his werewolf instincts were still active to the point where he would become overstimulated by the smallest of things. During this time Jack would become stubborn and reluctant for help, seeing as this was his condition he himself could deal with it.

You, however, disagreed with this notion and insisted that he relied on you or Ted whilst he slept in the tent incase any trouble were to arise while he was in a vulnerable state. Ted seconded this idea through a series of noises, which meant the favour was on your side and Jack had no other choice but to appeal you both before vacating to the tent for the night. As soon as he departed you looked to Ted who was sat across from you, “I’ll take the night watch big guy, you go get some rest.” Ted looked as though he was about to argue against the idea but when you raised your eyebrows at him, he quickly took to his spot and fell asleep.

For some reason you were too restless to sleep, as though something told you that tonight was going to be one of unease for you. Hailing from one of the most acclaimed family of hunters next to that of the Bloodstones, you were taught to take up long night watches and vigorous trained to hone your reflexes to be quick enough to stand a fight chance against monsters. However soon after joining Jack and Ted did you begin using those lessons to protect your friends instead; Dishonouring your family’s legacy in the process by becoming a deserter. You honestly could care less as all that mattered to you as you looked over your shoulder to see Jack huddled up beneath his coat, was protecting those that you loved by any means necessary.

The sound of a twig snapping forced you up on your feet, slowly drew your dual blades from their sheaths, your eyes trained on the spot where the noise had came from but didn’t dare move until you knew what you were facing. Your breathing maybe even while your mind was not as it ran rampant on the who’s or what’s it could be. After moments of no activity, your guard began to slip and you began slowly moving towards the line of bushes; Deducing it to nothing more as an animal passing through. This was a mistake on your behalf as just as you were a good distance away from the camp, a voice spoke from behind. “You’ve grown sloppy y/n, you family would be very displeased in seeing you carelessly throw away the training they’ve implemented into you.”

You knew that voice anywhere and all it ever did was tick you off with how pompous and arrogant it came across. “It seems that you still have yet to remove that stick up your arse, Cylis.” You turned to address the hunter who merely smirked at your quip. “You still haven’t ran dry of snarky comments I see,” Cylis says, “unfortunately you should’ve chosen your words more carefully unless.” He draws out his weapon held it poised at Jack’s neck, the blade glinting in the light of the campfire, “you wish to have the blood of your companion on your hands.” Your mouth tasted sour at the sight before you. The only place of refuge for Ted and Jack had been soiled by one hunter, who’s to say there wasn’t more that knew where you were and was only buying themselves time to strike?

You felt sick to your stomach at this act of cowardice on Cylis’s part, he didn’t have the decency to await on Jack fulling recovering and instead chose to take advantage when he was at his most weakest; Then again he had always been that type of hunter because you knew and Cylis knew that he wouldn’t be able to fight Jack face on. This was his specialty and he took disgusting pride in it, which enraged you more now that you had let this leech bypass into the camp with ease. “Get away from him before I break every bone in you body.” You snapped, wanting nothing more then to rush in and get Cylis away from potentially hurting Jack and Ted but refrained from acting on the anger you felt inside. After all he had the advantage in this situation, not you.

Clearly aware of this Cylis only laughed your threat off like it was nothing, “I would like to see you try, truly but have you considered that you have to actually get close enough to do so?” He gestured to the considerable amount of space between the two of you, causing a plan to quickly form into your head. “You’re right,” you admitted nonchalantly which made the smirk on Cylis’s face fade to a frown, “I beg your pardon?” He asked. “I said you’re right, don’t let it go to your head though.” You told him as you started to slowly walk forwards, “besides, the closest I can get without you doing anything rash is,” you stopped just short of the campfire, “here!” You cried before taking one of the stakes from your back pocket and throwing it so it lodged itself into Cylis’s shoulder.

“Fuck!” He screamed in pain as he discarded his sword to the floor -big mistake- so he could at least attempt in pulling the stake out, only to found it imbedded too deeply that even the slightest ounce of movement caused him great pain. Taking advantage of this, you quickly drew your swords and stabbed one through Cylis’s throat, and the other through his abdomen; watching as he choked on his own blood that pooled beneath him before surcoming to his wounds. “Hope you have a nice time in hell jackass.” You spat, ripping out the stake from his shoulder and pocketing it away, still high on adrenaline. “Now…where shall I put you I wonder?” You thought aloud.

Jack awoke the next morning to the scent of blood, fearing it to be yours, he awoke with a gasp before having himself out of the tent only to find you sat by the smouldering pile that was the campfire, completely unscathed. “Y/n, what happened? I smelt blood.” He asked sitting himself quite closely next to you, thanking you when you handed him some freshly made coffee. “A hunter found our camp.” You told him, watching as his eyes darkened with the possibilities of what could’ve happened had you not taken the night watch. “You should have woken me up y/n, I could’ve helped you-“ “you needed the rest Jack and besides I’m not some damsel in distress who needs protecting all the time.” You cut him off, not wanting to get into this especially first thing in the morning.

Jack, not feeling so certain that you understood where he was coming from regarding his concerns, sets his drink aside in favour of holding your hands within his as he looked into your tiered eyes. “I don’t think you get it y/n. I want to protect you, I’ll always feel the need to protect you.” He said, tightening his hold on your hands as he continued, “the mere thought of something possibly happened to you last night makes me scared. Scared of the off chance that one day I’ll loose you and I don’t want that. I never want that to be the case because I.” “Are you implying that you want to kiss me?” You unceremoniously cut him off mid speech, causing Jack’s words to die in his throat as a wave of sudden shyness washed over him at your straightforwardness.

“Wha-what? No I- good morning Ted!” Jack changed subject when he noticed his friend haven woken up, disturbing the foxes that slept on his back as they fled deeper into the woods; Ted made a noise of acknowledgment as he sat himself across from you like the night before. You chuckled at his poor attempt in concealing his flustered state by excessively drinking his coffee whenever you looked at him. So when the werewolf least expected it you learn against his side, “Shame you didn’t kiss me then and there but there’s always a next time right Jack?” You said teasingly, smiling at him as you pressed a kiss against his cheek, watching as he buried his head into your neck to hide his embarrassment. ‘How adorable.’ You thought as you fished off your morning coffee.

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