#GOOD LORD SLAY ME ALIVE

[toji-bunny-girl]

Ok but I fucking love the idea of God of War! Bakugou falling in love with Goddess of Life! Reader but not being able to express his feelings bc of his role.

The man in charge of so much death and despair for his own amusement stumbling upon the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen silently crying in their haven as she re-sows burnt crops, sends rain to cease the flames that burned villages, and redirects lost children back to their family. She weeps because she knows that as part of her life, she must always be shadowed by Bakugou since Bakugou is a reflection of mankind. As long as there is man, there is war. As long as there is war, there is Bakugou.

He feels kinda shitty about it because he’s never had to look at the aftermath of his doings; victorious feasts of rich meats and wines always came after leading corrupt leaders into battle. Seeing something so divine weep over something so fragile makes his stony heart twinge a little. He knows he can never approach you fully to court you because of your destinies. It kills him inside, so he might reconsider starting that war over a stolen pig.

HELPPPPP WHAT IN THE FORBIDDEN LOVE/UNREQUITED LOVE/ANGST/GREEK GOD AU/COLD-TURNED-SOFT/BAD BOY X GOOD GIRL IS THIS 😭😭😭

You’re the hope women and children pray to in times of war, watching over their trembling figures as they clutched their shaking hands together and wept your name.

Nurturer of Battlefields, hear me!

Mother of Light, hear me!

Lady of Spirits, hear me!

Let your children live through the destruction of men!

Oh Goddess of Life, hear me!

Now save your children!

Nights they’ve spent, whimpering chants to you while their fathers and brothers and husbands and sons fought under the other watch of another god. It was either one side of women and children captured and raped when all their soldiers fall, or the other side safe with abundance of stolen goods.

What could you do but to let the god of war decides for himself—and you’re left to weep as fallen men rot to death on their own land; unable to enter the gates of the underworld as they wander Earth as silent souls.

Victory was taken while loss hammered the damned to death, a side of women and children were safe while the other is left to be enslaved to the people who killed their lands.

While on the other hand—bloody red eyes and golden blonde hair, the god of war celebrates the wins he’d side with. People would offer sacrifices of slain bulls and goats and goods for the aid of his on their side; humankind would do anything to not be killed.

Songs and chants were written to him every night as they offer their offerings, singing about how the strength of Bakugou is worth 5 thousand of the strongest warriors.

He had enjoyed victories for centuries while your tears turn into rain that put out the fire of burning cities. He cheered through blood that splattered all over his golden armour while your tears washed dried red off of the grass of battlefields.

Slowly as time went by, prayers to you by the women in hiding ceased. After all, centuries of prayers did nothing for their land. It was all in the hands of Bakugou—the god of war.

Lord of Destruction, hear me!

Lord of Fallen Cities, hear me!

God of War, hear me!

Now pity the lives of us and bring us victory!

Lord of Slaughter, hear me!

Slay the damned enemies!

They’d pray and pray, with clutched hands and hopeful eyes. And you’re forgotten as the nurturer of battlefields.

At last, when the men were planing to burn all their fiend’s offsprings and wives alive—you discarded the dignity of a goddess and knelt in front of Bakugou. Rain poured as you pled for the lives of the innocent.

The war god had seen mortal being bowing beneath him, kiss his feet as they cried for their lives. But it was a first for a goddess to kiss his hand as she begged for mere mortal lives. You were almost powerless beneath his strength.

Humans could live but war was bound to happen. And he was bound to shine as marble statues in temples.

That was the tragedy. War can only end if life simply never existed; and you were the true mother of war.

It was only because you were a fellow god, he thought, impossible to kill that he no longer is appeased with the killing of women and children—and the Lord of Destruction would send thunders that struck huts and horses if he was angered.

Soon, Bakugou finds himself spending his days when he’s not battling in the quiet temple of yours. He would disguise himself as a bird, resting on a tree that runs with your holiness. Your tenderness and warmth for humanity were rare amongst the Gods and Goddesses, and he finds the epitome of beauty in that.

But what could he do with his heart? He birthed war and you begged against it. He thirsts for blood and you use your tears to wash it away. Mortals pray to him for the befall of their own kind and they pray to you for the lives of their children.

The both of you were never supposed to be destined. So all he could do, with his heart that beats feelings for the Lady of Spirits, was simply watch afar at your marble statue in your temple and listen to your weeps as yet another city burns.

#damnnnn #alright this ain’t bad i think #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #bakugou katsuki #bakugou x reader #bakugou angst #bnha x reader #mha x reader #bnha angst #mha angst #bnha bakugou #mha imagines #bnha imagines #katsuki angst #katsuki x reader #katsuki bakugou #bakugou drabble #anime #manga

[darleuxox]

lions and dragons don’t mix. ☆ aemond targaryen x male!lannister!reader headcanons

key masterlist ✦ hotd masterlist ✦ intro

warnings: repression; jealousy; r gets sliced in the face lol

summary: aemond hates you more than anything. your insulting jests, stupidly perfect hair, and handsome smile made him want to vomit. perhaps hate and love aren’t so different after all.

word count:1,305

a/n: from the first episode in which ewan mitchell slayed in his performance as aemond targaryen, i knew one thing for certain. that man needs some dick.

☆ when his mother announced she’d appoint a knight to specifically guard him, aemond, to put it frankly, was insulted. as one of the best swordsmen in westeros he shouldn’t need someone to protect him. but his mother gave him that look, one that suggested that this wasn’t for his comfort by any means - but for hers.

☆ although he felt reluctant, aemond sure as hell wasn’t going to choose some inexperienced sort. the idea grew on him at the thought of at least having some backup if anything ever went awry. so when introduced to the knights available, he showed no mercy.

☆ “how about your uncle gwayne hightower?”

☆ aemond thought back to his childhood when gwayne threw him over his shoulders without warning and tossed him into the river.

☆ “no.”

☆ the search didn’t pick up anytime soon. with aemond’s high standards, it was seemingly impossible to find a knight he’d approve of. then it was your turn to be dissected.

☆ “ah, that’s y/n lannister. lord tyland lannisters’s little brother,” otto recalled, “he’s your age, i believe. but the boy’s been training for much longer than you. he’s well known for leading troops against the rebellion up in casterly rock when his brother jason grew ill.” aemond scoffed, something competitive brewing in his chest. “ser criston cole says he’s a prodigy.”

☆ “intriguing,”aemond gritted out, before abruptly hopping over the stone fence and startling those on the balcony.

☆ “what the hell are you doing? aemond!”

☆ aemond ignored his grandfather as he took a good look at you. it was strange seeing someone so wealthy in a position seemingly beneath him. but he supposed you could handle it, given your reputation and the way your eyes remained focused on him.

☆ “let’s see if you’re as good as my grandfather says, hm?” aemond told you, unsheathing his sword.

☆ strangely enough, you smiled kindly, drawing out your blade and bowing at aemond, “of course, my prince.”

☆ the fight ended with aemond storming out of the room with no knight. you were officially the most insufferable person he ever met.

☆ “too princely to land a hit, are you?” you’d laugh.

☆ “you parried the wrong way, my prince,” you said grinning wildly, “let me show you how it’s done.”

☆ at one point you even held him down, your arms securing a tight hold around his neck, “let’s just stop before you cut my head off. or i cut yours.” aemond had to fight back. he hated how you smelled of apples and grass. he despised the feeling of your warm hands being so strong yet gentle.

☆ aemond couldn’t sleep at all that night.

☆ tyland wasn’t pleased with you, to say the very least. your older brother was typically supportive and delighted to hear about your wins, until now. he agreed to let you come to kings landing to protect the prince, not humiliate him.

☆ “if aemond tells the king or queen about this, he could have you killed!” tyland hissed.

☆ “i’m sure people have beat him in the past and they’re still alive,” you chuckled, “calm down.”

☆ “that’s because they didn’t bully him, you nitwit!”

☆ in a perfect world, aemond would go to his father for these situations. and considering his father didn’t care for his second family - aemond went to ser criston cole.

☆ “my prince, i don’t mean to be out of step,” criston explained, “but wouldn’t your guard being able to beat you in a fight be a good thing?”

☆ “what are you on about?”

☆ “if ser y/n can keep up with you, he can sure as hell keep up with anyone standing in your way.”

☆ aemond had begrudgingly made his decision by sunrise. you would be appointed as his personal guard while training with him during his lessons with ser cole to help him improve his swordsmanship.

☆ as his guard you and aemond see a lot of each other, the good and the bad. you quickly become acquainted with the fact that aemond’s attitude is a facade, and aemond learns to get used to your presence.

☆ more often than not you have to hold aemond back from one of his infamous tantrums or fights. at the moment he resents you for it, but after cooling off he’s thankful you were there before he did something regretful.

☆ to put it simply, vhagar is a grumpy old bitch. one that aemond expected to tear you apart. instead, she lets you pet her humungous cheek like a dog. he can’t seem to name that pleasant feeling in his chest whenever he sees you act so sweetly.

☆ once you accidentally walked in on aemond without his eyepatch. within seconds he had a knife to your throat and had you pressed against the wall. you simply told him the sapphire looked beautiful.

☆ aemond appreciates how nice you are to helaena and their mother. you always keep an eye on them when he can’t.

☆ aemond spent a lot of his time with ser criston cole, and although he appreciated the knight’s mentorship, he treated him like glass in some ways. you on the other hand, weren’t afraid to treat aemond like anyone else.

☆ “it’s not your loss of an eye that scares people away aemond. it’s the crazed look you have in the remaining one.”

☆ “y/n. come on,” cole said, giving you a stern look.

☆ “don’t deny it, he’s looking at me with it right now.”

☆ “just stop- oh.” the older man was silent, scarcely holding back a grin.

☆ you on the other hand had gotten your sword out, polishing it a bit more before showing it to aemond. aemond looked at his reflection and he was clearly unsure of what to say. it would be fruitless to fight back if you were right.

☆ “don’t worry aemond, it’s all in good fun!” you said, noting his embarrassed look, turning to aemond and wrapping an arm around his shoulder, “that’s what being a knight is all about, jesting with comrades! you can make fun of me now if you’d like!”

☆ “you…” aemond struggled, looking down at his hands, “you’re…”

☆ “go on!”

☆ “you’re insufferable.” initially he wasn’t kidding around. but aemond was nervous, even more so when you were deathly silent, glaring daggers at him. aemond was ready for you to choke him until you burst out into laughter.

☆ “there we go!” you hollered, “and your hair looks like moldy wheat!”

☆ “you oaf - take that back!”

☆ “you walk like a donkey!”

☆ ser criston cole was very amused watching you two go back and forth. it was nice to see aemond making friends. but he was surprised that even when hearing a particularly bad joke from aemond (which was all of them), you’d laugh anyways.

☆ aemond realizes how he feels about you when he hears the possibility of you marrying a martell princess. when he should’ve been delighted for you he felt hurt and betrayed.

☆ one wouldn’t think it possible to ignore their own bodyguard, but aemond proved everyone wrong. he began to treat you like a ghost, and it stung horribly.

☆ but much to aemond’s chagrin, you were persistent. taking every opportunity you could to ask him what you did wrong. eventually, you had cornered him in a secluded hall, desperate for some answers after a particularly heated training session, which resulted in aemond leaving a nasty cut on your forearm.

☆ aemond wanted to kill you when you hugged him, but all he found himself able to do was melt in your embrace. he realized this was the feeling his mother told him about, unconditional love that left you soft and dizzy. the yearnful touch that would leave him begging for more. something he was supposed to feel for someone he’d eventually marry. in a moment of confusing bliss and heartache, he pulled your face into his and pressed a hard kiss onto your lips.

#aemond targaryen #prince aemond targaryen #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen x male!reader #male!reader #aemond one eye #comrade aemond #hotd #house of the dragon #hotd x reader #house of the dragon x reader #got #game of thrones #asoiaf #asoiaf x reader #a song of ice and fire #a song of ice and fire x reader #fanfiction #headcanons #mlm #fluff #hotd x male!reader #alicent hightower #otto hightower #house lannister #tyland lannister #jason lannister #writing #✦: my fics

[sausage-rolll]

Queen Marika the eternal and the power of bewitching

-

Y'know, it's interesting that Marika also seemed to have a similar "mind control" power that Miquella is often sited as having.

"The Empyrean Miquella is loved by many people. Indeed, he has learned very well how to compel such affection."

-

While it's something that isn't heavily explored in game (to the point where I don't see anyone discussing it) Roderika theorizes that Marika cursed Hewg to eternally craft weapons for the remainder of his life. And it's straight up stated that this "cursing power" was used on the fire giant to force it into protecting the giants forge in the name of the erdtree.

"The Fire Giant is a survivor of the War against the Giants. Upon realizing the flames of their forge would never die, Queen Marika marked him with a curse. "O trifling giant, mayest thou tend thy flame for eternity.""

-

So Marika definitely seems to have a similar power, possibly even being the person Miquella inherited his off of in the first place.

But could this go even further than just Hewg and the fire giant? How many others could she have cursed over the years? What are the chances that Radagon suddenly up and leaving his family to become second elden lord wasn't actually his decision at all? Miriel himself states that it's a ongoing mystery as to why Radagon would do it.(alongside why he was chosen to become elden lord at all)

"The mystery endures, to this day... As to why Lord Radagon would cast Lady Rennala aside... and moreover...why a mere champion would be chosen for the seat of Elden Lord"."

The thing I find really important is that the question isn't just about why he'd be chosen as elden lord, but also why he'd cast Rennala aside at all. To me, this implies that Radagon did indeed care for Rennala, to the point where even with the temptation of becoming the second lord of the order he loved so much, it still seemed strangely out of character for him to take that opportunity over his family. As if he would never do that.

That is unless, he didn't take that opportunity by choice.

Afterall, even after leaving Rennala, he still clings to the only thing he has left of her, the golden order greatsword. And on top of that, he left his red wolf to protect her from harm, and even gifted her the amber egg before his departure. (Though I'd argue that that did far more bad than good for her mental state.)

"Telltale signs betray that this was once the greatsword bequeathed to him by his first wife, Rennala."

-

Ok so Radagon could have been cursed by Marika, and much like Hewg with his smithing and the fire giant with the forge, Radagon might have been cursed to protect the golden order as its elden lord, which would eventually backfire horrendously when Marika decided to turn against that very same order.

Admittedly I am kind of stretching here but everyone she cursed seems to be "cursed" with a specific goal in mind. Forge a god slaying weapon, Protect the giants forge. So it's not totally out of the question that she also cursed Radagon with the goal of "be the elden lord."

It would certainly explain why even after years trapped in the tree and barely even being alive anymore, he still fought tooth and nail to protect his order. He cannot give up because he's no longer physically capable of giving up. Much like Hewg and the giant. That is unless they die of course.

-

But it could go even further than that. What about Maliketh? It appears he's just loyally following the orders of Marika but that's what it always looks like! It looks like that with Hewg. It looks like that with the fire giant and it looks like that with Maliketh aswell. Despite seeming utterly miserable both as Maliketh and Gurranq, he carries on following her orders for years.

We have no idea how long he spent in the Farum Azula. Time doesn't work properly there. For all we know, he could be the oldest being in the game by the time we get to him. And yet after all that time his resolve never wavers. Even after being "betrayed" by Marika.

"Maliketh was a shadowbound beast given to his Empyrean. Marika's sole need of her shadow was a vessel to lock away Destined Death. Even then, she betrayed him."

And much Like Hewg, Fire Giant and Radagon, Maliketh is also ordered to carry out a specific goal. Which is protecting destined death.

Forge the god slaying weapon.

Protect the Giants Forge.

Be elden lord.

Guard Destined death.

-

Many people, including myself have sited Miquella's connection to the bewitching branch and power to "compel affection" as evidence that he might not be as benevolent as he seemed. But what if we've got it all wrong? What if we shouldn't be being suspicious of Miquella for having this power, but instead the person he inherited it off of?

-

Now there is someone else that Marika may have cursed. Well, a group of someone's actually. I saved this till the end because it's the most "out there" part of this theory but...

Spoken echoes of Queen Marika linger here as well.

Shall I share them with you?

In Marika's own words.

Hear me, Demigods. My children beloved. Make of thyselves that which ye desire. Be it a Lord. Be it a God. But should ye fail to become aught at all, ye will be forsaken. Amounting only to sacrifices...

...What if it wasn't the power from shards of the elden ring that corrupted the Demi-gods and led to the shattering wars?

What if it was the power of suggestion? The power of bewitchment?

What if it was Marika?

#elden ring #marika #miquella #elden ring lore #elden ring theory #radagon of the golden order #rennala #melina #maliketh the black blade

[starsopinions]

Damsel is surprisingly good!

I am going to be honest with you, going into this film I was fully expecting a classic Netflix tween empowering movie. Let's just say I was pleasantly surprised!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Starting with the good! Firstly, I really enjoyed the femininity and girlhood aspect. This theme is woven through a lot of aspects of the film and it makes it feel well-rounded and shows multiple different examples of woman- and motherhood. It was shown through Elodie's birth mom dying, her relationship with her step-mom and obviously Elodie's connection to the previous victims. I really enjoyed how all the women/offers/victims helped each other indirectly. Victoria's messages helped Elodie get out alive even though she couldn't herself. (Victoria is the definition of a girls girl). Think about Elodie’s relationship with her sister Floria, marriage, The dragon's children being murdered and the dragon's reaction to that, Lady Bayford's relationship with Elodie and Floria and Elodie being sacrificed by her father.

Another thing I liked was Elodie’s dress. It obviously restricts movement and is a symbol of Elodie’s freedom and control, or lack thereof. That, however, isn’t the only thing it is used for. Throughout the movie, Elodie repeatedly uses her dress to survive. For example, She is saved by it when she jumps over the ravine and she uses the sleeve as a bag for the light worms. This shows that Elodie is being resourceful and smart by using all the available material. Besides that, it also shows that she isn’t giving up like she is expected to which is nice to see. It would have been so easy for her to conveniently find a bag in a cave somewhere and use that, or for her to simply be able to jump that far. Instead, the movie is clever and makes Elodie innovative which makes her more likeable and more deserving of survival. Additionally, it is also really cool to see all the different iterations of the dress as time goes on and it makes for an epic transformation.

And now, a speed round of parts I enjoyed: Prince Henry not having a redemption arc (he threw her in that cave without a second thought). The CGI looked amazing and the dragon was honestly terrifying. The costume- and set design both did an amazing job. Floria was adorable.

There are a few things that I would have done differently. Starting at the beginning, it feels a bit rushed. I would have liked to see Elodie’s people actually struggle, there was a lot of telling that they were poor but Elodie is married off before we actually get a chance to see it for ourselves. And while we're at it, although I liked the bond and dynamics between Elodie/Floria, Elodie/Lady Bayford (her stepmother) and Elodie/Lord Bayford (her father) they should have spent more time exploring their relationships. Especially Elodie and her father's bond should have been stronger, right now we only get a few scenes of them together, so imagine how much harder his betrayal would have hit if we were shown how close they really were. That is not to say that it is bad right now, but it is definitely something that could be improved upon.

Another aspect I would have liked to see more of is the colonizer plot which is implied but not developed further. It is mentioned briefly that the people of the kingdom Aurea invaded the land and tried to slay the dragon and her children. It could have been delved into more by showing another flashback, for example. It also would have been cool if that was also one of the reasons the dragon was upset. For me, the dragon's redemption arc isn’t really a redemption at all but more of a 180°. I think the dragon getting tricked is a good plot point but the dragon was EVIL before (taunting and playing with her victims) and it could have been dragged out a bit more in my opinion. It is also quite weird to me that the dragon goes with Elodie at the end. You would think that the dragon wants her land back and with the kingdom gone, she can have it back. It is also weird to me that Elodie would want the dragon to go with her because although it is obvious that the dragon isn’t the actual evil in this scenario. She still tried to kill you, your sister and she actually did kill your father. So overall it would make more sense to me if the dragon stayed behind to claim her own land back or they should have more scenes where the dragon comes around and isn't evil anymore.

The last thing I want to complain about is the set-up for Elodie being sacrificed. There were some great starts on that. Queen Isabella getting Elodie’s name wrong, The girl on the balcony, the creepy masks. Those are all great beginnings but I want it to be WAY more suspicious and weird. I liked how Lady Bayford stormed in and tried to stop Elodie from marrying Prince Henry but I wish it came from a more creepy place, right now she just thinks he isn't right for her. Maybe she heard people on the market talk about a ritual, or maybe she talked with the family of the other girl who was sacrificed, that kind of thing would be an amazing set-up. I don’t think it was bad how it was but it just could have been better.

Overall, I feel like I have been very negative in this review but that is not my intention at all. I actually really enjoyed the movie. It obviously isn’t a cinematic masterpiece but I don’t think they intended it to be. It had potential to be even better but I honestly think they did a fantastic job.

This is my first time writing a review without watching or reading anybody else’s opinions, so I am completely in the dark about what the general opinion is. My prediction is that it is written off as a classic tween movie just because it has a “girl boss” female lead when in reality it is so much more than that and I had such a good time watching! Would 100% recommend!!

Obviously, these are my opinions! If you feel differently, then that is 100% okay and you are always free to share your thoughts!

Thank you for reading all the way to the end (I would be eternally grateful if you liked/reblogged) <3

Until next time,

Star ☆

#damsel netflix #damsel 2024 #millie bobby brown #movies #movie review #stranger things #starsopinions☆

[just-1other-nerd]

Good Omens live blog ep. 12

Once again, did not totally forget this one in my drafts, I don't know why you're saying that...

He doesn't have real candles anymore, after the incident

How did he know from which class Muriel was?

I like the way he contrasts heaven so much, it just looks so weirdly pretty. Also, he's just got the gayest walk

Oh no, not the angel outfit

Maggie, love, now is the wrong time to awake your inner badass. Aaand just minutes later we've got an I told you so situation

The circle is such a nice callback and clever as well

The Muriel Crowley combo is one of the best things in this season

Crowley was high up in the heavenly ranking? I just know that there will be so many fan theories

Gabriel, or shall I say Jim, is just enjoying the chaos

Did Gabriel just say "Nah", like for real? He's such a bitch

Why is Saraqael so chill right now?

I'll do myself one better: Why was Gabriel so chill about going to hell? Very sus

So that was the institutional problem, a bit unspectacular if you ask me

Not the BOOKS!!! As a fellow bookseller, this season really hurts me as much as the last one. Why do they keep doing this?

So halos are weapons? Cool. Idk how to explain it, but he throws it in such a gay way. Are they dead? Discorporated? Unconscious?

Love how Crowley just keeps giving orders, and they just follow them like he isn't a demon

So we got the high-ranking angels there, Lord Beelzebub and this seemingly high-ranking demon, but wtf is Furfur doing there?

Crowley just keeps insisting that there is no war and weirdly everyone listens?!

Saraqael has got the sass

I knew something was up with the fly! But I thought it was a false lead or to spy on them, not a container of Gabriel's memories!

Beelzebub is strangely nice and gentle

INEFFABLE BUREAUCRACY IS CANON?! I thought of this more as a fun crackship, and I thought it was so silly that this would never become canon, so I didn't expect the fly to be connected to Beelzebub in a good way.

When he shows them the statue, they just make an "okay weird" face and move on, I think that's hilarious

How his love for Beelzebub not only makes him do a miracle but also appreciate earthly things

But that montage convinced me that they deserve a happy ending somewhere where they can't hurt anyone. The way they look at each other. Damn Beelzebub has a pretty smile

Today everyone seems to forget Saraqael's name

Crowley's got such a fun dynamic with so many people

Oh, that one guy is still alive

Maggie makes some moves, you go girl!

The way Crowley proudly watches when Aziraphale becomes bossy

Alpha Centauri is back, I can't cope!!!

They're singing their song, that's so cute

Shax and Furfur being besties, like slay

Is that the Metatron? What is he doing here? I sense something bad coming

The way Crowley recognises him before everyone else is so funny

The Ritz, oh my God, the Ritz! And alone time?! Like a date?!

Crowley is putting everything back to where it was, that's husband behaviour

Nina and Maggie speaking the truth! And Nina called her angel! Best advice, 10/10. Is this really happening? Will the ineffable husbands really become canon? So excited!

The romantic music from the Blitz!

No, Aziraphale, don't interrupt him now!

Please, don't let that go to where I think it's going!

FUCK IT IS!!!

Aziraphale, I know you really believe what you're saying, but I'm with Crowley on this one!

We get a love confession anyways? I think I might be dying. The way he looks up trying not to cry, like same.

So many daggers are being put directly into my heart right now!

The sunglasses, NOOOOOO!

He really does understand it better than you, but he needs to explain it! There is so much more to say!

No nightingales. Really?! Neil knows the fandom to well, he knows exactly where to hit us, so that it really hurts. I love and despise him for this

Oh my God, it's happening, everybody stay calm, stay fucking calm! They really just kissed! It's canon y'all! But also: not like this! NOT THIS DESPERATELY AND NOT THIS DEVASTATINGLY! I'M IN AGONY!

Not the "I forgive you"! Aziraphale, you idiot, I can't even express why that line and Crowley's answer are so damn emotional and full of meaning. The parallels! I can't cope! I literally rolled off the couch, and now I'm lying on the carpet crying!

Not the lip touch!

I don't think Muriel will do any harm to the shop, but they'll probably make lots of mistakes...

He doesn't take anything with him because Crowley was the only thing that really mattered!

Crowley judgingly and sadly looking at Aziraphale and the Metatron makes the pieces of my heart break again! And the dramatic strings in the background aren't helping!

The second coming?! We're in for a wild ride in season 3, not only emotionally and characterwise but also plotwise! I literally can't wait!

I can't help but hope that he won't step into this elevator until the last second, but somewhere inside me, I know that he just isn't there yet in his character development

Crowley looks so heartbroken, he finally sees their relationship for what it is and now he's lost it! He's shutting down the nightinggales song and drives away expressionless

WHAT KIND OF AN ENDING IS THIS?! WHAT THE FUCK, NEIL, WHAT THE FUCK! HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO US! ONLY SEASON 3 MIGHT BE ABLE TO HEAL US, BUT IT'LL TAKE FOREVER TIL IT'S OUT!

Loved this season, but damn do I feel an emotional overload and I have a love/hate relationship with that ending because as an aspiring writer, I would have done the same, it's brilliant, but it hurts so much!

#good omens #still crying on the carpet btw #GOS2Spoilers #ineffable bureaucracy #ineffable bureaucrats #ineffable husbands #crowley #anthony j crowley #aziraphale #nina #maggie #lord beelzebub #beelzebub #archangel gabriel #saraqael #archangel uriel #archangel michael #shax #furfur #muriel #the metatron #wow #this post got longer than I expected #good omens live blog

[xxladyballadxx]

Farewell

Clive Rosfield x f! reader

Summary: Clive and (Y/n) bid farewell to their 8 years old daughter (D/n). For some survivors to escape quickly on the Enterprise ship, (Y/n) and her husband Clive stay behind to fend off the demonic creatures and the demon king Dwirmaxit.

Note: Not connected to the story from the game. This was just an idea I came up.

Watching the hideaway burning in flames had your entire body quivering. The corrupted monsters ambushed the place you once called home and they took over the place. So many lives were lost. A few, however, have survived the attack. You panicked, rushing to go and look for your daughter with Clive. 

Clive checked his chambers to see if (d/n) were there. “Mother, father?!” (D/n) hopped out from behind the desk, scared. “Little one!” you and Clive scurried to her, scooping her into your arms. “Mummy! Daddy! What happened?! Where is everyone?!” 

“We have to get out of here, (D/n).” Clive spoke to her as calmly as he could. Screams coming from outside the chambers, you held (D/n) in your arms quickly, “Clive, we need to go.” 

“Alright, stay close to me. There’s a lot of them out there.” Clive unsheathed his Invictus sword, preparing to slay whoever comes in their way. You followed Clive behind, running quickly as possible so no demons will get to (D/n). 

A few monsters were blocking the way to the ship. Clive managed to cut them down without a struggle.“You three!” Mid is alive, so were the others. Charon, Goets, Gav, Otto, Harpocrates, Jote, Tarja and Blackthorne. A few people and children were alive. “Come quickly” Lord Rosfield was protecting the crew, slaying every monster that gets to them. Gav lent him a hand. 

“Clive! (Y/n)!” Joshua arrived before the ship could depart, along with Jill and Torgal. “You’re all here!” you exclaimed, relieved to see them alive. 

“For now.” Joshua sheathed his sword. “Quick! We must hurry to the ship!” Lord Rosfield escorted the survivors to the Enterprise, signaling them to move quickly. Mid hurries to the wheel, “Gotta get the hell out of here!” She shouted.

You slowly put down (d/n), moving the fringes of hair out of your daughter’s face as you bent down facing her, “(D/n), listen to me, I want you to get on the ship with Jill and the others safely.” 

(D/n)’s voice cracked, full of worry and fear, “You and Papa are not coming with us?!” she began to tear up. 

You gave a sad smile, a very broken one. Clive lowered down next to you, his eyes breaking up in grief, “Your mother and I are going to remain here. We’re going to buy you some time while you make your escape with the others.” 

“No..” (D/n) whimpered, her eyes creating a fall of tears, “Please come with us!” 

 You pressed your hands lightly onto your daughter’s shoulders, telling her, “If we don’t stay here and keep them busy, you won’t make it out alive.” your voice breaking down. “If we don’t return, just remember that we will always love you, sweet daughter of ours.” Clive patted (D/n)’s head, a sad shattered smile clouded on his face, “Promise us you will be good to others, (D/n).” 

“If we don’t make it…” your throat swallows in deepest regret, finding it hurtful to say this, “Jill and the others will surely take great care of you.” When you said this to her, (D/n) began to cry tearfully. You and Clive crashed in together to wrap her into a tight-loving embrace. “Know that we love you very much, dear sweet child of ours.” Clive consoled her. 

“Let’s go, (D/n)...” Jill walked over to get (D/n), her voice mixed with sadness and grief. (D/n) goes to her, putting her small baby hand into hers. Two of them boarded the ship quickly. You stood up together with Clive, watching the little one leave with the crew. (D/n) set her eyes on her parents one last time, she continued to shed tears and then she looked away. 

Time was wasting. You and your husband didn’t have the chance to say anything or to say farewell to friends whom you called family. Joshua wanted to tell Clive so badly that he wishes to stay behind and fight with him and you. He knew his older brother wouldn’t allow it. 

So… Joshua allowed them to follow their own fate, knowing this was bound to happen.

When the ship sailed as far away as possible. You slowly turned your head around to face Clive, holding his hand. He caught your gaze falling onto him, your husband caressed your face, wiping a single tear falling from one of your eyes. “I wish this didn’t happen…” you said in a mumble, “But it just fucking did anyway…” 

Clive slipped you into his strong arms, embracing you, “We will go through it together, my darling..” 

The two of you pulled away for a moment, hearing an evil demonic voice from a demon lord himself. Dwirmaxit.

“I have been expecting you two…Clive Rosfield…(Y/n) Rosfield…” 

You summoned your magic electrical whips as they smack the surface of the ground. Clive semi-primed into his Ifrit form, unsheathing his sword.  

“Go no further..”

All faded to darkness as you and Clive clashed against Dwirmaxit...

══════════════════

・・・・Third Pov・・・・

The two lovers fought with all their might. They fought hard, holding off the demon lord as long as they could. Clive and (Y/n) fell into a pit of defeat. (Y/n) got slashed on the back, then earned a sword pierced through the stomach. Clive received a broken left hand. He was also stabbed. Dwirmaxit and his minions left, leaving them to die. (Y/n)’s mouth dripped with heavy blood. As she was laying down there in pain, she shifted her eyes to look at her dying husband Clive. They held out their hands to reach but were far from each other. Clive crawled up to his wife in his weakened state, blood stroked across as he went to her. 

“(Y/n)...”

“Clive…”

They called out to each other’s names one last time. Clive reached close enough to hold his wife’s hand, their eyes focused on each other. They talked a bit before dying in peace. Talking about how they were grateful to have a daughter like (D/n), how they were to have her in their life. They couldn’t get the chance to speak about the crew and the most important people they became close with…

Their fate came to an end, death arrived upon them. They shut their eyes for eternity while holding each other’s hands…

Along with a broken smile…

════════════���═════

Mid and the survivors were still at sea, they watched their own home fall apart. They never saw it coming. Many people got killed by the demons. The children cried in heartbreak, wishing this didn’t happen. One of the adults tried and comforted them.

Jill and (D/n) looked up to the dark sky together, they noticed two different coloured stars were fading out. The red star disappeared right after the yellow star. Jill figured out that Clive and (Y/n)’s fate came to a close. As much as it hurts for Jill to allow them to accept their fate, she sobbed. So did (D/n), she didn’t want to accept it. (D/n) hoped for their return even though they gave a clear sign they will never come back. Shiva’s dominant and the child held into an embrace as they shed tears together. 

Joshua and his uncle suffered in silence while seeing them cry in grief. Gav and the others did the same thing. All were slowly beginning to accept Clive and (Y/n)’s fate, except Joshua since he had already accepted it. 

The whole crew pressed on, moving forward. (D/n) set her eyes on the dark diamond sky, the spirits of her parents began to appear. They smiled down at their wonderful daughter. She shone a smile across her small face with tears dropping down on her cold pale cheeks, mumbling her final words to her dear loving parents.

“I love you, mother…father…I promise I will be good to others. I will cherish you both in my heart…Always…” 

⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅ END ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅

(A/n) - I do not feel sorry when I wrote this (LIE°՞(ᗒᗣᗕ)՞°) Hope you all had a good cry!

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

#final fantasy xvi #ffxvi #ff16 #final fantasy 16 #clive rosfield #clive rosfield x reader #clive rosfield x you #clive rosfield angst #ffxvi angst #ffxvi x reader #ffxvi clive x reader

[gendrie]

How do you see Sansa’s story unfolding in TWOW? People seem to want to rush it so she can get to Winterfell and kill LF, but she can’t have the Vale’s knights without the consent of the lord of the Eyrie (I don’t know why that’s so overlooked) so SR needs to die so she can marry Harry, but at the same time she’s married to Tyrion and LF is obsessed with her. He brags about taking the Tully girls’ virginity, and I’m sure he won’t be happy with the prospect of Harry having her before he does. And no one can tell me the Vale lords will be fine with SR’s sudden death and have no suspicions. Things won’t be that simple. I’m of the opinion Sansa will only slay LF after she learns what happened to Jeyne. Maybe Arya will return from Braavos with Jeyne? Dunno, but I know Arya will tell Sansa about it. Arya’s mere existence ruins LF’s plans. While there’s a Stark succession crisis going on in the North Arya returns with Robb’s crown and LF’s freaks out and tries to sow intrigues between the sisters. He’s too important an antagonist to be shoved aside that early.

you covered a lot of my thoughts on the subject. most of the fandom is just not engaging with sansa's material beyond a desire to see her as the qitn who never did anything wrong so they cut out the vale shenanigans, not unlike d&d, and imagine her going directly to wf to be fawned as the most perfect lady. for some thats the full extent of their investment in asoiaf lol.

but theres no reason for her to go up up north asap. nobody is checking for her, no weirwood is calling her name, no direwolves howling in her dreams, no magical association, ect. her arc is almost entirely devoid of northern symbolism tbh. she's never even spoken to a northern character on page who wasnt a relative or her bestie. and yet the fandom refuses to even entertain alternative courses for her.

whether or not littlefinger is telling the truth is kind of secondary now that he's revealed his plot to the audience. storytelling convention dictates that it will not come to pass. but i dont think he's being entirely forthcoming anyway. i suspect his plan is actually to frame harry (who seemingly has the most to gain) for sweetrobin's death. thats been his entire M.O. since day one (see jon arryn, see joffrey, see lysa) i agree that theres no way littlefinger intends to marry the object of his obsession to another man too. thats like losing catelyn to brandon/ned all over again. not that he could marry her off even if he wanted because tyrion refuses to die.

i also agree that jeyne p. will play into this. the fact that sansa hasn't heard about "arya stark's" marriage is downright conspicuous at this point. almost everybody (arya included) heard about it in storm. she heard about jon being elected lord commander already too. that was easily brushed off. as was littlefinger's revelation that he intends to kill sweetrobin. i don't think she will be able to brush off arya/jeyne, though. how she finds out remains to be seen, but i do think its likely grrm is withholding this info from sansa for a reason.

littlefinger's got his work cut out for him. he is not accounting for robb's will which names jon a stark and the heir to robb's kingdom, nor for bran, rickon and the real arya stark. this will give sansa a lot to deal with too. for good and ill. her siblings are alive, but she has been removed from the line of succession. that will sting and yeah, arya will obviously intend to give the crown to jon which will create conflict between the sisters.

ultimately, i think a variety of factors will cause sansa to turn on littlefinger. the biggest might be, simply, that he corrupted her for nothing. he's a liar and fraud and he hasnt done anything for her. he's tricked her into forgetting that with a promise of wf, but it won't last. she's going along with his plan to murder a child, her own cousin, but it won't give her what she wants in the end. the fantasy will be destroyed. when that realization hits her she will move against him.

#ask #theres not a lot of genuine speculation for sansa out there #most its just like #she will defeat LF in her next chap and then the vale will deliver her to wf where she sits pretty forevermore #like ok damn than im revoking her main character status lol

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for trying to evict my companian from my house?

So this I'll need to explain what happened first:

I (???NB) got my house broken into by a man (25M) who said he was a sacrifice to appease me which is like ... I didn't ask for this plus I haven't killed anyone in a long time so I took pity on him and keep him alive. I let him live around since I myself don't know where the exits are, then we bonded really well! He taught me a lot of human culture and all, it was great. We slowly became close that I regard him as what the human called 'brothers'.

But one day this pompous royal british asshole (30M) invade my house and said that 'Im a blight to the world' and 'undeserving to live' and I was like '??? bro im literally just chilling??' but he threatened to destroy my house (btw the human called it the Abyss) and that shit is NOT cool, bc I've been keeping this area stable for a long time by using half of my heart to to make it homey. Shit was going down and Abyss is falling apart, so I decided to chuck my brother out. EXCEPT. That he kicked me out! Out of my own damn home!!! (He also kicked out the prick tbh understandable)

Now we are both furious, me bc the entrance to the Abyss is gone and my brother is still in there, alone, and him bc he didn't get the glory to slay the Lord of the Abyss. I ignored him and tried to search for another entrance for thousands years, died too many times tbh smh.

Now the prick exposed what I am to the public and announced that I am a manslaughtering monster and a cruel being for trying to open the Abyss again, when it had devoured so many humans in its wake, that I'm selfish for trying to get my brother back. I'm kinda scared bc he have used this tactic before and I died from being executed by the public, but I don't have a really good grasp on human morale and all that and I'm scared. Am I bad for trying to get him out? Urgent waiting online.

#aita #am i the asshole #unreality

[milksnake-tea]

my thoughts on the recent event bc oh lawrd are there a lot of them

spoilers for the ruan mei + dr ratio quests below !!! also brief suicide mention under ruan mei's part

i hate him. lord i hate him i wanna bite him so bad what the fuck LITERALLY WHO ???? DECIDED THAT HE DESERVED TO BE THIS PRETTY ???? i want to bite him

OKAY BUT SIMPING THOUGHTS ASIDE. i actually really really love this guy's character because not only does he give me ptsd of my teachers, he's both an asshole yet a genuinely kind person and i really really love that. it's like he has good intentions yet also has an ego and doesn't care to sugarcoat things and is stupidly blunt to the point of being rude, yet it's because he believes in getting straight to the point and is upfront. he'll play mind games but he's honest, he'll play chess with himself while wearing a head that makes it so bro can't see like ???? HE'S SO SILLY I LOVE HIM

AND HER. OH LORD HER. listen i may not be attracted to this woman but that doesn't mean i can't love her design and character and want to buy her corndogs (she'll ignore my ass LMAOO)

because the thing with ruan mei is that she's detached from emotions itself and doesn't understand what it means to love another, but she's also hella cruel because of it. like i'm not going to excuse her, there's some document that says that she experimented on something once to the point where it literally committed suicide like ???????

see cause like she drugs us right. and yet she's still nice about it. and i still want to kick her shin <3

^^ also bro do u know how badly i was screaming at caelus to not eat the damn cake BRO DID NOT LISTEN AYE GRGRGRGRGR

also okay unrelated to the event but.

i miss him :( also i thought bro permanently dipped from my train before i could even do jingliu's quest bc he left a letter but NOPE HE'S STILL HERE !!!!!!

anyways

i like him

he silly

also he's giving alastor from hazbin hotel

BUT FR THO I LOVE MORE WORLDBUILDING W DIFFERENT FACTIONS YALL I COULDNT BELIEVE THIS GUY WAS PART OF THE ANNIHILATION GANG BC . I THOUGHT THE ANNIHILATION GANG WAS LIKE YK. A GANG BUT DAMNNN HE LOWKEY SLAYING

i wish i was a cube so that ratio would smile at me bro looks so majestic i love him <333

ik this was supposed to be a serious conversation but imma be real i couldnt take it seriously bc the place kept glitching 😭😭😭 HOW ARE THEY ALIVE AND BREATHING okay not screwlum but yk what i mean

#lui plays games 🏵️ #hsr spoilers #really really liked this event #it's going up there w the heliobi event it was so fun <3 #can't wait to bite dr ratio and roll him around

[candyredmusings]

Mike’s Mic Appropriately Unhinged Recap Of Pretty Little Liars Sentence Starters.

I love this video series and I have nothing else to say for myself. May update more in time as I rewatch these videos. Feel free to change pronouns/whatever you need!

I need a cross. Where’s my crosses?

The girls are truly dropping like flies in this town.

[NAME] was addicted to speed.

[NAME] .... is gay!

[NAME] slept with her teacher.

[FULL NAME]. Felon. Felon. Felon. Jail. Prison.

The more layers you scratch the more issues there are so we’re not gonna scratch!

[FULL NAME] is not seeing heaven and I’ll make sure of it.

What were their names again? Glizzy. Slime Girl. Blob. And Eminem. 

Let me wear one other item of clothing, [NAME]!

[NAME] is very nice and gets along with everyone, so it’s not looking good for her ‘staying alive’ wise.

His irrelevance astounds me.

The way [NAME] was in the trenches with these crusty wigs.

[NAME] is getting increasingly shitty.

He’s largely a cringe flop.

This man is crusty I’m going to tear him a new one.

Look if you take away all the horrible, rude shit she says ... She’s an icon

Look, if I’m being honest ... That’s my bestie and she did nothing wrong. She was justified in everything that she did.

That’s my bestie and she did nothing wrong. She was justified in everything that she did.

She was justified in everything that she did.

It’s so ridiculous but it’s also just so fun if you ignore how dumb it is.

Let me move my bangs so I can read this properly.

Remember the boner phone?

Call off your techno-boytoy.

Call off your techno-boytoy or I’ll call the cops.

Someone needs to go to jail for this wig.

[NAME] minimized her slay.

Be your own techno-boytoy.

I know you wanna kisth me.

The person who has the stick gets to talk, and since I have the stick that means no more talking from you.

Why would I do this? Reason one is BECAUSE I WANT TOO!

As I was doing this and spending ridiculous amounts of hours on this and I was not getting bored I was like ‘I think something’s wrong.’

What happened here? We’ve had a casualty!

We’ve had a casualty!

If I say things like, ‘[NAME] you’re not seeing heaven’ ... It’s a joke!

[NAME] invented homophobia.

I’m doing you a public service. Slay!

Babe, just google it.

[NAME] felon of the century!

[NAME]! That’s my bestie right there!

[NAME] ... Truly a menace of the millennia.

Who plays lacrosse? 

[NAME], the crust lord of the millennium. 

[NAME]’s key traits are ‘fashionable, popular, and blonde.’

These girls love to sh-teal.

Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous girls love SOUP.

*Coughs* liar. *Coughs* felon.

Call the ‘yass’ police!

Whoa, babe, we literally just met, and you’re already kissing me on the cheek?

This girlboss right here is the messiest. 

Put the blazers down!

*Sighs* This man ...

[NAME] is dating a crusty named [NAME].

[FIRST AND LAST NAME], key words is ‘rich’ ‘asshole’ ... But also a little bit slay.

She hates [NAME] because she’s underage and poor.

[NAME] can’t fight all three of these girlbosses.

You’re going to be SOO gooped and gagged, this isn’t even the start of it!

You’re going to be SOO gooped and gagged!

This crusty ass wig.

The hair looks like shit!

Crusty wigs is a key part of [NAME]’s personality.

[NAME] has came back from Weed Rehab camp.

Our girlboss [NAME] has done some digging.

She sleeps in eyeliner. She practically has eyeliner tattooed onto her eyelids.

I-CONIC LYRICISM! 

I do not condone this buffoonery. 

We’re not gonna find out anytime soon-- FORGEDABOUTIT.

Girl ... You hit her with a car!

#txt #rp memes #rp prompts #sentence starters #ask prompts #roleplay memes #roleplay prompts #inbox memes #inbox prompts

[itsalwayswellattheworldsend]

Book 2 Chapter 26 - They Ride the Mountains Toward Goldburg 

Text Audio

Synopsis:

The Fellowship makes its way through the mountains, and finds a familiar corpse.

Summary:

"He is seeking the woman, and I would that he could find her; for then would I slay her on the howe of my kinsman: for she hath slain him; she hath slain him."

They stayed at Whiteness for five days, and before they left, Clement hired armed men from the lord of the town, and servants to help with the pack animals as they crossed the mountains, so by the time they reached the mountains, there were ninety people in their group.

Ralph asked Bull if any of those they might encounter in the mountain were of his clan, and he said no, not unless one or two of them happened to be going on some peaceful errand, like Bull Nosy. So Ralph gave him a good sword and shield, and a steel coif as well, but he wouldn’t wear it. He said that if a sword and shield could not keep him alive, then he deserved to have his head split open.

They rode through the mountains for seven days[1], and the way was tiresome and difficult, being a stony maze of rocks where no living thing dwelt and nothing grew except for the occasional stunted willow tree. Though difficult, they encountered nothing worse on the road than the terrain, because they were now too many and well-armed for any of the wildmen to attack, since the clans there were weak.

Around evening on the seventh day, Ralph had ridden a little ahead of the others with Bull, in hopes of seeing the end of this terrible wilderness, which Clement said should be close since they were now going down-hill and the streams ran eastward. So as they rode and the sun was setting, they saw something lying beside a large stone beneath a cliff, and when they grew closer they saw that it was a man, whom they thought was dead. So Bull went up to him and leapt off of his horse to bend over him, but immediately he threw up his arms and let out several long, wailing cries, one after another. He was so loud that the others heard him and rode up quickly to see what was the matter.

Ralph dismounted and ran to Bull, saying: “What’s wrong, why are you crying? Who is it?”

But Bull turned around and shook his head and said: “It is one of my clan, the one who was leading your she-friend; and likely it was her that slew him, since she is not here. Ochone! ahoo! ahoo!”[2]

Then a fire ran through Ralph’s heart, and he thought of that other murder in the wilderness, and he began ringing his hands. “Ah, and where is she? Where is she? Is she also gone forever? What an awful turn of events!” Then he drew his sword and ran around the rocks and bushes to look for her body.”

Then Clement and the others came up, and they wondered what Bull was doing kneeling down by a corpse, and why he was crying and wailing while Ralph ran around like a madman yelling “I might find her! She could still be alive somewhere in this miserable wilderness. Oh my lost love,[3] don’t you want me to find her alive? If she’s dead, I’ll kill myself, despite my youth! I may find you two beyond the world, if both of you have gone from it.”

Then Clement went up to Ralph and asked him what was going on, but Ralph stared at him wildly and did not answer. Bull cried out from where he was kneeling: “He is looking for the woman, and I wish that he would find her so I could slay her on the grave of my kinsman: she has killed him! She killed him!”

Ralph heard that and ran at Bull with his sword held up as though to kill him, but Clement tripped him and he fell, the sword flying out of his hand.[4] Then Clement and two of the others tied his hands with their belts until they could figure out what happened, because they thought that he might be possessed and a danger to himself or others.

Now the whole Fellowship was gathered together and they stood in a ring around Ralph and Bull and the dead man. The body had been dead for some time—likely many days—but in that high, clear, cold air, the wind had caused it to dry out rather than rot, and his face was clear to see with its big, hooked nose and long black hair. His head was split open.

Bull finished crying over his kinsman, and he seemed to be waking up from a dream, and he looked at the men around him and said: “Here is something big, my masters! What will you do with me? Do you think it is our custom that when a man finds the corpse of his brother—his own mother’s son!—and turns it over with his foot like the carcass of a dog, that he should leave it like that and be on his way? I ask that, although I am only a thrall taken in battle, I be allowed to bury my brother and make a mound over him in these mountains.”[5]

They all agreed to this except Ralph, who had been calmed by his fall, and was now standing between Clement and the captain with his hands unbound, since the others had joined them. He hung his head and seemed to be ashamed of his anger. But when Bull had spoken and the others answered, Ralph said angrily to Bull (though more controlled now): “Why did you say that you would kill her?”

“Did you find her?” asked Bull.

“No,” Ralph said sullenly.

“Well then, when you do find her, we will discuss it.”

“Why did you say that she had killed him?”

“I was out of my mind at the sight of his body,” said Bull. “But now I say that she may have killed him.”

“And maybe she didn’t,” said Clement. “Look at the wound in his head—the blow went right through his iron headpiece, which he bought at Cheaping Knowe (I’ve seen these kinds at armorers’ booths there): it would have taken a strong man to do this.”

“Yes,” said the Captain, “and a big sword as well. This was done by a strong man wielding a good weapon.”

Bull said: “Well, will my master have me forgo vengeance for my brother’s slaying, or stop me pursuing the killer?[6] If not, then let him kill me now, since I am his thrall.”

Ralph said: “You can do what you want in these matters, and I will also do what I want. If she killed him, then that is justice for his kidnapping her.”

“It’s only fair,” said the captain; “but Sir Ralph, I ask you to take the word of this older fighter: she didn’t kill him, not her or any other woman.”

Clement said: “Well, let’s just leave the matter here for now. But tell me, lord Ralph, what will you do, now that you’ve come back to your senses?”

“I want to  search the wilderness around here, in case the young woman is in some cave or crevice, alive or dead.”

“Well,” said Clement, “here’s my idea: since Bull Shockhead wants to bury his brother, and Lord Ralph wants to look for the young woman, and since there’s water nearby and the sun is setting, let’s set up camp here and wait until morning. We’ll let the night advise us. What do you say?”

No one disagreed, and so they started making camp and lighting fires, but Bull immediately started digging a grave for his brother while Ralph and the captain and four others went and searched the area and in the crevices. They did not find the maiden, nor any sign of her. They spent a long time looking, and when they came back it was night and the moon was shining, Bull Shockhead was standing by the mound of Bull Nosy’s grave, which was heaped high over the place where they found his body.

When Bull saw Ralph, he turned to him and said: “King’s son, I have done what I needed to do. Now, will you kill me for my actions, or shall I be your man again and serve you truly—unless a blood feud comes betweens us?”

Ralph said: “You will serve me truly and help me find whomever killed your brother and took the young woman; for I believe that is what happened, since we have seen no sign of her, alive or dead. But tomorrow we’ll look a little further before we ride on.”

“Yes,” said Bull, “and I will help look.”

So then they went to their beds, and Ralph lay awake for a long time, which was unusual for him. He thought about things until at last he said to himself that this woman whom he called Dorothea must certainly be alive, and that he would find her. Then it seemed to him that he could see her through the darkness of the night, dressed in the green flowered gown as he had first seen her, and she was mourning her captivity and the long wait for deliverance, pacing back and forth in a great chamber made of marble, decorated with gold and bright colors. And before he fell asleep, he thought this was a vision of what was, rather than some memory of what had been, and the sight of her alive was sweet to his soul.

Notes:

[1] So, there’s a bit of a problem all of the sudden. We don’t know how far Whiteness is from the Central Range. The travel time is not listed, causing our first real gap in time. I would assume that they left Whiteness and were immediately in the mountains, except that in the previous chapter, it was stated that there was still some distance past Whiteness before reaching the mountains. I’ve marked this on the map as an unknown distance, and will be continuing accounting for time as though there was no gap.

[2] I assume this is how hillfolk grieve.

[3] He’s referring to the Lady here.

[4] “That word heard Ralph, and he ran at Bull with uplifted sword to slay him; but Clement tripped him and he fell, and his sword flew out of his hand.” That’s what happens and I find it very funny.

[5] What he originally says is like “Have you heard this is what we do, or is it your own custom that…” He’s like “Hey, you need to let me do this thing; properly caring for the dead is a basic human right.”

[6] “...will my master bid me forego vengeance for my brother's slaying, or that I bear him to purse?” I don’t know the exact meaning of the second clause. “that I bear him to purse” isn’t a phrase I’m familiar with, and I’m not able to find another meaning of “purse” that would make sense. I chose to translate “bear” in the sense of “allow” and “purse” as a relative of “pursue,” since that seems contextually valid, but I’m not sure. Googling “Bear him to purse” ONLY brought up this line from this book.

Map:

#the well at the world's end #william morris #the well - book 2 chapter 26

[marvelstars]

When it comes to Anakin and the Tuskens Raiders, I believe it adds to Anakin´s trauma the fact it was a whole month in which they beat Shmi without mercy and took her blood for a ritual, a complete month in which he could have rescued her but didnt, this was the thing that drove him mad and the what ifs, What if I have just come here the first time I had the dream? what if I didn´t wait to see if Mom was ok? Why did I let myself be convinced I had to forget Mom to be a good Jedi? Why did the Tuskens did this?

The only other comparision I can find between this particular situation and another character is Luke, given how their situations were linked by design, imagine if Luke didn´t go to Cloud City and distracted Vader enough to allow his friends to escape, imagine if Vader had killed them instead of torturing Han and put him in carbonite, imagine the guilt Luke would have if he had just stayed doing his training, while his found family died, I honestly don´t think he would have accepted Yoda´s point about respecting their sacrifice.

The difference here was that Luke went to see his friends, despite the protests of his teachers, he went, lost his hand but discovered the truth about his father, which made all the difference in ROTJ and got to scape with his friends alive, while Anakin obeyed his master, stayed put , went to rescue his mother once Padme told him it was ok, his plan was to take her without a fuse but lost her in an horrific way, after 10 years of knowing she was left in slavery without anyone doing anything about it and started his journey towards the darkside, he knew it, he blamed himself for failing as a Jedi and killing the Tuskens but he also could not help but think the Jedi keep him from contacting his mother for 10 years.

After this I wasn´t surprised at all he decided to marry and break the jedi code, emotionally speaking he had broken his links to the Jedi order, the main thing that keep him connected to them was Obi-Wan and their need for people to fight in the clone wars, so he stayed because he loved Obi-Wan, wanted him to stay safe and for loyalty to the Order but he no longer could bring himself to fully believe in their code and their beliefs when it cost him so much, what kind of warriors for peace and justice are them if they knowingly leave someone in slavery for fear of attachment?

Another similar situation, imagine if Luke didn´t find out from Vader his paternity and went with Obi-Wan´s original plan, of his father being cruelly killed by the evil darth vader and him avenging his father, imagine if Luke killed Vader in anger, all the Emperor would have need to do was to tell Luke who exactly did he slay to bring him to the darkside or leave Luke mad with grief for unknowingly killing his father, the father he idolized and before someone says Luke could not fall to the dakside because he´s good, let me remind you that Lucas original script for ROTJ was Luke taking Vader´s mantle after seeing him die and failing to save his life, he changed the end because he wanted the original trilogy to have a happier/hopeful end, but yes, in Star Wars, anyone can be pushed to their limit and fall, just like they can come back from the darkside.

The Jedi Order isn´t supposed to be flawless even if they are not evil. There´s a reason why since TPM there´s talk of them being blinded by the darkside, unable to find the Sith Lord and feeling the force imbalanced, this imbalance followed them into the Original trilogy and I believe this was their own fear of attachment leaving them too detachted, something Palpatine took good advantage in a number of ways.

#anakin skywalker #shmi skywalker #luke skywalker #yoda #obi-wan kenobi #attack of the clones

[morningmarionette]

THIUGHTS ON THE GUILD GO! I loved them sm they were my fav faction and all the characters make me deeply insane I am WAITING for them to come back they have to asagiri set up too many plot points not to bring them back. Sigh. my favs r lucy n poe n mitchell n hawthorne n steinbeck but I like all of them

Omg omg okay i LOVE thr Guild I spent like 30 minutes last night trying to predict the different Guild members because Autism. (I FUCKING LOOKED UP MARk TWAIN BC I WAS LIKE U CANT HAVE AMRRICAN AUTHORS AN NOT HAVE MARKY YKW??? LIKE HES LItERALLY BROUGHT UP IN EVERY SINGLE LIT CLASS IN AMERICA BRO and nothing came up OU IM SO MAD)

BTW, I tend to use a first name basis with authors btw theyre actually all my best friends i know them on a deeper level (my mom said that i need to seek help today, this is what happens when all yr friendships are superficial as a kid methinks)

anyways. here are my thoughts:

Mr Francy Pants (Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald): i wasn't too opinionated on him til I learned his ability (like i said we need to stop letting white ppl get rich bro...) and then i was like i need this guy dead and then i learned his motive and i was like oh my god hes literally just a guy he wants nothing but to mAKE HIS WIFE HAPPY OUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH so he slays actaully i hope hes alive :((

Louisa May Alcott: LOMLLLLLLLL i love little women so im extremely bias towards her but wtv when Francis was going on his lil rant abt owning her and everything i was like woah now careful abt how you speak to my girl

Nathaniel: Lord....forgive me...... HES SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO FINE OH my GODDDD Nathaniel was made for the girlies with complicated relationships with religion i fear (ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME )

Margaret: love me a woman who dresses like that okay but im fairly certain the actual woman was racist soooo kinda mixed feelings?? but the character is amazing and perfect (ignoring the restoring her family's honor.........) and i actually loved her accent lol it was southern enough to be southern but not too southern to be fake lol southern accents actaully arent always there for my area lol they come and go and are stronger when angry/ come out stronger on certain words or phrases loll

Lucy: OUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH seeing that she got caught PAINED ME LIKE NOOOO ATSU WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO GO AND SAVE HER BUT NOW I FEAR HES FORGOTTEN IN ALL THE EVERYTHING GOIONG ON OUGHHHHHHHHHH

Anne is SOOO Cutie Pie too btw and I love that one she looks like Anne of Green Gables (obvi) BUT ALSO Raggedy Anns!!!!!

Marky Mark: HES SO CUTE ACTUALLY ???? I love his "im just here for the fun of it" attitude that was rlly nice AND HUCK AND TOM ARE SOOOO CUTE and i love the fact that hes a gunsmith despite im pretty sure the book characters he brought to life and real life author being like these scrappy lil southern boys lolll i like that they didnt go the kenji route with him and have him be like a (read this in a southern accent btw) lil farmer boy with good intentions for everyone :D type character !!!!!! love him 10/10 scrunkly

John Steinbeck: his grape thing freaked me the fuck out the first time he did it i was so thoroughly gagged like...... hes cute but in term of design he and Francy look soo similar I got tired of these basic ass white men sorry TvT (looking at them made me feel like i was watching hetalia again LMAOOO) hes scrunkly poo too tho and i love his quirk (mha gagged with quirk im sooo sorry)

Lovecraft: He rlly puts the love in Lovecr....Im gonna stop there sorry :( that sounded jsut as bad in my head LMAO I LVOE HIM i love the fact that him turning into Kraken is just. smth he can do. not his quirk hes jsut like that. (okay actually he didnt write Kraken so idk what the fuck he turns into but he just like me fr) i love his absolute apathy to everything he rlly is sucha girl like he just wants to sleep fr !!!! he had empty eyes and long lucious hair and thats enough to make me love you so i literally DONT CARE bout NOTHIGN ELSE !!!! 10000/10 hes so fine omg....

Melville: hes actually so chill. i like him! he had honor and standards that he upheld himself and i heavy respect that! going down w yr ship is like the easiest way to gain my respect cuz that troupe >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

AND LAST BUT ABSOLUTELY DEFINETELY NOT LEAST:

Edgar Allan Poe:

do I, Dorian Nico di Marionette (my legal Tumblr name), even need to say anything about how much I love this man. I'm not even just talking about the bsd character. I'm talking about the actual author too. He's literally so cool. Like so cool. He came, he lived, he fucked around and found out, and he died!!! He is literally everything I wish to be. Cool, Autistic, Mysterious, Silly. And now specifically the character: I love his need for praise bc ME tOO. I love that he had given himself ONE PURPOSE and that purpose was to beat Ranpo and give him the mystery of his life like yes girl devote your entire being and existence to that ONE (1) man !!!!!! (me) (we need help)

i love that he has a pet Raccoon esp since the general agreement is that he died of rabies like...... ( i personally think he was murdered but idk... ijust feel like someone didnt like him bc he accomplished alot and they probably couldn)

he and ranpos lil friendhsip warms my lil heart to like................... like i said in my tags they remind me of Hikaru and Kaoru in a way where their world was "us" and "not us" and like they are the only ones who can keep each other on each others toes and constantly getting better and giving the ultimate form of praise (theres nothing like getting praise from someone in your field of work, esp someone that you regard as "better than you") and thats so.......... (and if i say codependcy (I WILL PUSH CODEPENDCY ON EVERYTHING BRO I NEED TO SEEK HELP))

anyways these are my excessive thoughts i need help lol

#mari answers !! #mutuals :> #tia tag 🩵 #bsd 🗞️ #this was osooo fun omg i love answering asks I WIH TUMBLR GAVE MY NOTIFS ABT THRM !!!!

[agentrouka-blog]

"When it(Drogon) saw Jorah, it raised its head and looked at him with eyes as red as coals."- Dany(AGOT X). "Her(Mel) eyes were hot coals, and the sweat that dappled her skin seemed to glow with a light of its own."- Davos(ACOK II). "The only thing that looked alive in the pale ruin that was his face was his one red eye, burning like the last coal in a dead fire."- Bran(ADWD III). BR, Drogon and Mel eyes are describe as red eyes like burning coals.

I went looking a little, and boy, burning coals are not a positive image in the series at all. In general. So. Not a good thing to be compared to them.

Chunks of coal burned in iron braziers at either end of the long room, but Jon found himself shivering. (AGOT, Jon III)

The gargoyles watched him ascend. Their eyes glowed red as hot coals in a brazier. Perhaps once they had been lions, but now they were twisted and grotesque.   (AGOT, Bran IV)

There was a brazier in the room. Gregor never said a word, just picked me up under his arm and shoved the side of my face down in the burning coals and held me there while I screamed and screamed.  (AGOT, Sansa II)

When the coals were afire, Dany sent Ser Jorah from her. She had to be alone to do what she must do. This is madness, she told herself as she lifted the black-and-scarlet egg from the velvet. (...) Cradling the egg with both hands, she carried it to the fire and pushed it down amongst the burning coals. The black scales seemed to glow as they drank the heat. Flames licked against the stone with small red tongues. (AGOT, Daenerys VI)

Braziers were lit. Mirri Maz Duur tossed a red powder onto the coals. It gave the smoke a spicy scent, a pleasant enough smell, yet Eroeh fled sobbing, and Dany was filled with fear. But she had gone too far to turn back now.  (AGOT, Daenerys VIII)

He warmed translucent hands over a glowing brazier where stone eggs smouldered red as coals. One moment he was there and the next he was fading, his flesh colorless, less substantial than the wind. "The last dragon," he whispered, thin as a wisp, and was gone. She felt the dark behind her, and the red door seemed farther away than ever. (AGOT, Daenerys IX)

The black-and-scarlet beast was draped across her shoulders, its long sinuous neck coiled under her chin. When it saw Jorah, it raised its head and looked at him with eyes as red as coals. (AGOT, Daenerys X)

His father slid his fingers under the necklace and gave it a yank so hard it was like to take Theon's head off, had the chain not snapped first. "My daughter has taken an axe for a lover," Lord Balon said. "I will not have my son bedeck himself like a whore." He dropped the broken chain onto the brazier, where it slid down among the coals.  (ACOK, Theon I)

It was pleasantly warm inside, the heat shimmering off the coals in a dozen small iron braziers.  (ACOK, Catelyn IV) (Just before Renly is murdered.)

"Gods preserve us," he whispered, and heard her answering laugh, deep and throaty. Her eyes were hot coals, and the sweat that dappled her skin seemed to glow with a light of its own. Melisandre shone. (ACOK, Davos II) (Shadow baby birth)

"Those who cannot are culled in training, along with those who cannot run all day in full pack, scale a mountain in the black of night, walk across a bed of coals, or slay an infant." (ASOS, Daenerys II)

An iron brazier stood beside the king, its coals glowing a ruddy orange. (...) The coals roared. As pale flames writhed atop them, the red woman retrieved the silver dish and brought it to the king. Davos watched her lift the lid. Beneath were three large black leeches, fat with blood. (ASOS, Davos VI)

Thoros and Lem were with Lord Beric when the dwarf woman sat down uninvited by the fire. She squinted at them with eyes like hot coals.  (ASOS, Arya VIII)

At a wedding, thought Davos. As he sat at his slayer's board, a guest beneath his roof. These Freys are cursed. He could smell the burning blood again, and hear the leech hissing and spitting on the brazier's hot coals. (ASOS, Davos V)

An ornate brazier stood to one side, fashioned in the shape of a dragon's head. The coals in the beast's yawning mouth had burnt down to embers, but they still glowed with a sullen orange light. (ASOS, Tyrion XI) (Just before killing Shae and his father)

They found only darkness, dust, and rats. And dragons, lurking down below. He remembered the sullen orange glow of the coals in the iron dragon's mouth. The brazier warmed a chamber at the bottom of a shaft where half a dozen tunnels met. (AFFC, Jaime I)

"You should not make mock," warned Ysilla. "The whispering dead hate the warm and quick and ever seek for more damned souls to join them." "I doubt they have a shroud my size." The dwarf stirred the coals with a poker.(...) The little man stirred the coals again and blew on them to make them burn brighter. I hate this. I hate this fog, I hate this place, and I am less than fond of Griff. (...) He thrust half a dozen torches into the brazier's glowing coals and watched the oiled rags flare up. Don't stare at the fire, he told himself. The flames would leave him night blind. (ADWD, Tyrion V)

The only thing that looked alive in the pale ruin that was his face was his one red eye, burning like the last coal in a dead fire, surrounded by twisted roots and tatters of leathery white skin hanging off a yellowed skull. (ADWD, Bran III)

Blood welled from Khrazz's wounds. That only seemed to make him wilder. He seized the brazier with his off hand and flipped it, scattering embers and hot coals at Selmy's feet. Ser Barristan leapt over them. (...)  The longsword in his hand was red for half its length. Here and there the carpets had begun to smolder where some of the scattered coals had fallen. He could hear poor Qezza sobbing. (ADWD, The Kingbreaker)

The serpent resolved itself into a neck and tail, and then the dragon's long horned head appeared, his eyes glowing in the dark like golden coals. His wings rattled, stretching. (ADWD, The Dragontamer)

It's just a litany of misery here, with very few exceptions.

#quote compilation #long post #fire imagery #hot coals #bad omen #anti daenerys targaryen #not really but you know #anti targaryen

[jackoshadows]

I do think Sansa staying in the Vale is the most likely option for her, but how do you think her becoming Lady of the Vale will work? With her marriage to Tyrion, her being wanted for king-slaying, and with no way to verify her identity I don't imagine that her revealing herself is going to go smoothly. And there's only so much that can be done through LF's manipulations and we don't even know his real intentions. I only ever seem to see theories that gloss over these details.

I think GRRM has indeed been laying the groundwork/some foreshadowing/parallel journeys (both characters pretending to be bastards after going on the run from KL for ex.) for Sansa and Tyrion.

For me, the biggest thing is consent. Whichever character ends up with Sansa, I need for Sansa to want to be with that character/love that character. Considering her imagining kisses with the Hound, it's clear she desires him, burned faced not withstanding. While in the Vale she also thinks more fondly of Tyrion, wishing she could flee from Littlefinger and go to Tyrion if she knew where he was.

Slowly but gradually, Sansa seems to be moving from just good looks in terms of what she desires. It could be that this happens with Tyrion and that marriage is not annulled and Sanrion end up in Casterly Rock at the end.

If Sanrion does not happen however, then I see her making her base at the Vale. She likes it there, she feels alive once again. Once she gets the gist of playing the game and wields an iota of power, it could be she likes being the behind the scenes player holding all the power.

I don't see Sansa openly being Lady of the Vale as long as she is married to Tyrion and the Lannisters hold power in KL. As you point out she is currently wanted for murder by the crown. I can see her trying to get the Lords of the Vale on her side and slowly take away LF's power. And if by the end of the series, Harry the Heir is still around (I think SR is a goner), and she genuinely likes him, they get married.

Or there are the Mountain clans and Timmett son of Timmett who are Chekov's gun waiting to be fired. Timmett also has a right to the Vale

“Which brings us back to the five remaining daughters of Elys and Alys. The eldest had been left terribly scarred by the same pox that killed her sisters, so she became a septa. Another was seduced by a sellsword. Ser Elys cast her out, and she joined the silent sisters after her bastard died in infancy. The third wed the Lord of the Paps, but proved barren. The fourth was on her way to the riverlands to marry some Bracken when Burned Men carried her off. That left the youngest, who wed a landed knight sworn to the Waynwoods, gave him a son that she named Harrold, and perished.” - Alayne, AFfC

Or it could be that the Hound gets to the Vale and it's him she loves, despite being married to Harry. We just don't know enough of what it is that Littlefinger is planning to do to speculate on who Sansa will marry etc. Which is why it's baffling to me when readers want her to go North asap in the next book. Like how?! There's so much plot to cover in the Vale!!

Or Sansa finally gets rid of Littlefinger by dragging him out the moondoor with her! Recall that Sansa was one of the characters who is most likely killed by Jaime on his way to the Iron Throne in the OG outline. All the characters who die in the OG outline - Ned, Cat, Robb, Drogo etc. - also die in the books. No doubt GRRM has expanded Sansa's story in the series, but it could be she still has the same ending considering GRRM's insistence that he is still heading for that same 1991 ending he has in mind.

#asks

[theladyofbloodshed]

Steel & Flame - Chapter 12

Lucien called Nesta’s bluff that night. She slunk into the bathroom then emerged in her nightgown rather than sleeping naked like she had planned to tease him. Completely bare or not, it still drove Lucien wild.

It was torturous to lay beside her but not be able to hold her. That was not because of his words that he’d make her beg, it was simply too damn hot. They’d kept the balcony doors open to tempt in cooler air, but even when Lucien had leaned over to kiss her goodnight, their bodies had radiated as much heat as a furnace. It dashed any thoughts of a night spent holding her.

At the sun rise, Nesta had rolled closer. Her lips were parted, a slight crease was indented between her brows. Lucien swept the golden hair from her face.

‘Good morning,’ she murmured, stretching all the way down to her toes.

It was impossible to bypass the clench in his heart. Anyone describing Nesta would call her iron willed or as hard as steel. But when she let out a little sigh or pressed her face into the pillow, Lucien knew it to be false. She’d only been hard because she had to be. Only built those walls because it was a method of survival.

Nesta could have died in the Cauldron. She could have been split open by the King of Hybern. Mother’s tits, she even could have fallen down the stairs drunk out of her mind in Velaris and broken her neck. His mate lay beside him, soft and gentle, but more importantly alive and healing. He could not ask for more. He never even expected that much.

In his life, he had lost a lot. Jesminda, his home, his mother, all of the males he’d grown alongside in Spring who’d been sent beyond the wall, Tamlin himself and the Spring Court. The eye seemed minimal compared to the people. One day, it would be Jurian and Vassa. Their lifespans would be over in mere decades. Their existence would fade in Lucien’s memories with each passing century.

He had lost a lot, yes, but he’d always adapted, always managed to overcome whatever obstacle the Cauldron had thrown at him. Nesta was non-negotiable. He’d fight tooth and nail to protect her. Every beat of his heart answered hers. It was a song that only they knew, a tribute to lovers.

It still struck him that Mother had decided he deserved a mate. And not just any mate, but Nesta. Nesta Archeron who’d stood before queens as a mortal and demanded they give up the Book of Breathings. Nesta Archeron who’d dared to argue against Beron Vanserra with every high lord as a witness. Nesta Archeron who slayed the King of Hybern and held his head in her bloodied hands like a trophy. He’d change his own surname to Archeron. He wanted to crow from every rooftop in Prythian that she was his mate. That the Cauldron or the Mother, whatever fated deity, had deemed him worthy of Nesta Archeron.

‘Should I be concerned that you’re staring at me?’ Nesta had forced open one eye to peer up at him.

‘Are you mocking me?’ He teased, pointing to her closed eye.

‘No. I wouldn’t. I would never.’ When Nesta saw his grin, she gave him a measured shove in the arm. ‘Don’t say things like that.’

‘You’re lucky you never saw me prior to losing my eye.’ He drew an idle pattern on the toasty skin of her shoulder.

‘Why?’

His finger snagged beneath the strap, twanging it like the string of a harp. ‘You’d not be able to form words around me. My beauty would blind you. Too handsome. At least my mother always said I was.’

How Lucien craved to see his mother. To save her from the hell she was living with his father. To introduce his mate to her. To show his mother that not all of her children had rotten cores and that there was good in him; her goodness lived in him.

‘She would be correct.’

For much of the day, they returned to their private cove, basking once again in the crystal-clear waters. Nesta’s newfound boldness struck once more when she pulled her dress over her head and walked with little trepidation into the sea. She bloomed in private with gentle hands guiding her.

After they’d had enough of swimming back and forth from each end of the arced cove, they were on the sand. For a reason that he didn’t know – and one that he’d chortled at – Nesta had decided she wanted to dig a hole. He’d lay on the sand, propped up on his elbows, watching her claw at the sand, tossing it behind her in a fruitless mission. Lucien didn’t know why it made him laugh, but it did. Nesta Archeron – the ice-hearted unyielding female - digging the biggest hole that she could for fun.

Lucien was happy to go along with whatever whim Nesta had, glad to see her out and enjoying herself in the sun like she deserved. They were combing the sand for shells. Nesta wanted the perfect ones, she said. It was a strict set of criteria that only she seemed to understand. He’d present her with a shell and she’d examine it for a few seconds then decide that wasn’t the one. So far, she clutched two in her hand. One was chipped and the other was a spiralling conch only as big as her fingertip. Nesta knew what she wanted, so Lucien was happy to offer more and more shells for her to inspect.

They ambled back to the village to fill their bellies with more sea food. Sheepishly, Nesta had asked for whelks again though screwed her eyes shut as she put them in her mouth, unable to look at them. She had chosen to wear the blush pink gown. The shop keeper had been accurate in her assessment; Nesta was a Goddess in the dress. It tucked into her waist and carefully cradled her cleavage, but the skirts formed a tulip over her hips. It scooped low at her back but half of her golden hair hung loosely, veiling her tanned shoulder blades.

The Summer Court was a good place for her. The warmth coaxed her further from her shell – or maybe the strangers loosened her inhibitions. None would see her again - their judgements wouldn’t linger. Many males had taken the opportunity to pass their eyes over Nesta for a second time, but she never seemed to notice. With a jolt of his heart, Lucien realised that Nesta’s attention had been reserved solely for him. She’d tip her head towards him to listen, she reached for his hand as they dawdled along another beach, or she would always step a little closer as if any distance was too much.

Reluctantly, they readied themselves to winnow back to the mortal lands. He hoped the new-found bravery would remain. That Nesta would want to join the three of them more often, that she’d build a friendship with Vassa. Lucien had plans to take her to the Dawn Court too. Thesan was amenable and his contact resided in an ancient bookstore there. There was a whole world for them to explore, and the bond that pulse with sunlight between them made him believe all of it was possible.

‘Perhaps you could come to my room tonight,’ she offered with a slight shake in her voice.

‘I promised you’d be begging me.’

‘Lucien, I can think of a far better reason to have me on my knees than to beg.’

***

Nesta’s pink skirts swirled around her knees as they winnowed directly onto the front step of the manor. The kiss of winter met them swiftly so Lucien had tugged his arm around her, shielding her bare back from the worst of the wind, then opened the door. ‘After you, my lady.’ His manners made her mad with lust. Lucien reminded her of the young men she was accustomed to from her youth, but one who actually followed through on his sugared promises. She never had any fears of him acting inappropriately or pushing her too quickly. He was more a male from her stories, handsome and polite, with a warrior’s build and dashing good looks. His playful side was slipping out more and more which Nesta found even more appealing; he knew when to tease and when to reign it in. Jurian’s voice flooded the hallway. It wasn’t his usual dry, tormenting tone that he reserved solely for Vassa; besides, she would still be in her firebird form for a little longer. The voice continued but it was clipped and short, lacking any fear. Lucien stiffened, an arm curling protectively across her front. She heard the loud drawl of Cassian counter something that Jurian had said then both voices stopped. They’d heard the front door opening and were awaiting their arrival in the living room.

‘Would you like to go to your room?’

It was tempting to avoid the Night Court entirely, but avoidance did not suit Nesta. She’d never been one to duck her head in submission or clear out of another’s path.

‘I can manage a greeting. Poor Jurian might need back up.’

Nesta was ever so thankful for Lucien’s forward thinking, for knowing she might want an escape. She took hold of his hand in declaration that she was as much a part of him as he was of her. Nesta had expected Lucien to loosen, but the tension still bracketed his mouth as he led them into the living room.

Jurian had spread out his legs on the couch, taking up as much space as he could in silent challenge. As if to match, Cassian had forced himself into the other end. His large, umber wings were pressing into the back cushions and half of his hair was tied up loosely at the nape of his neck. He wore the typical arrogance that Nesta had come to expect from him.

 Against one wall, giving the best vantage point of the windows and door was Azriel. A silent nod was his only form of greeting. His own body was also fraught with tension. Shadows swirled around his legs – and a single one had trailed up his arm to rest upon his shoulder.

The reason for the tension sat in the arm chair.

‘Hello, little brother.’

Eris Vanserra had an ankle crossed over his knee in a casual position. His elbows were bent, hands behind his head, languishing in the chair as if it were his own home.

Lucien took a not-so-subtle side-step in an attempt to block Nesta from view, but Eris merely leaned forwards in the chair to peer around him. Nesta felt his stare weighing upon her, measuring her up like a warrior might examine an adversary.

‘She looks different,’ he said at last.

‘Am I an object?’ She asked. ‘Or are you too cowardly to address me by name?’

There was much of Beron in that face. Beron was still handsome despite his cruelty and age, and Eris seemed to have inherited both the looks and the sneer. Where Lucien had a more classic, masculine handsomeness, Eris was what Nesta had always imagined when she thought of the fae. He was tall and lean, his amber eyes unsettling because they felt not from this realm, and his face seemed more pointed, more ethereal.

‘We sent word for a meeting, but you were not home to receive it,’ Cassian explained.

Lucien smiled tightly. ‘I cannot spend my life within these walls waiting on letters from Rhysand. We are not prisoners.’

Lucien gave a snap of his wrist to suffocate the flames burning in the hearth, plunging the room into darkness. Then the room was lit again with his flames – ones Nesta could recognise – that flickered silently in the fireplace instead. ‘Jurian, light up this room, it’s like a tomb. I’ll prepare refreshments. Do you want to come with me?’

Nesta hesitated.

‘Sit by me,’ Jurian said, over his shoulder as he stood to light the candles around the room. ‘You’ll find that I’m the best company.’

More and more candles had been lit along with a couple of oil lamps so that the room was bathed in yellow, flickering light. She settled onto the couch, not entirely happy about being wedged between Jurian and Cassian. She’d pressed herself as much as she could towards Jurian’s side so their thighs touched rather than be near the General of the Night Court’s armies. He noticed the slight, but only grinned at her, flashing his elongated canines like a wolf.

Jurian plucked the gauzy strap of her dress, leaning closer to examine it. It was a move that none of the other males would dare do – either for Lucien’s reaction or Nesta’s own. But Jurian liked to push. Nesta had learnt his habits and tricks well enough; he was always searching for a higher ground in a world that underestimated him. He was an ally in this room, not an enemy. A mortal man against three powerful fae males. Even if she wanted to swat his hand away, Nesta knew it would show a crack in their careful alliance.

‘I’d prefer it if you didn’t try to undress me with an audience, Jurian.’

The corner of his mouth turned up into a lopsided grin. ‘I’ll leave the undressing to Lucien. Pink suits you.’

‘I’ve never seen you in pink before,’ Cassian said, eyes roving over her gown.

She shifted slightly, uncomfortable by his expression. It was as much skin she was brave enough to display in public yet it was minimal compared to others. Mor and Feyre had no qualms in baring most of their legs, half of their back and their cleavage, but it made Nesta grow hot and sick just thinking about wearing such an outfit in front of a crowd.

‘Do you keep a record of what I wear? It’s disturbing if you do. Perhaps you need a hobby, Cassian, rather than cataloguing the outfits of other males’ mates.’

Eris let out a snort, ‘Dolled up in a pretty, pink dress but still the same cut-throat, iron-willed female who dared to put my father in his place in Dawn.’

‘Well, it seemed unlikely that you would ever speak against your father, Eris, so somebody with a spine had to.’

Azriel, wisely, stayed silent in his post beside the wall though Nesta swore something like admiration shined in his hazel eyes when they met hers.

Jurian threw his arm around her shoulders. ‘One night away and I already missed you.’

Instinct should have had Nesta roaring to throw Jurian off of her. To snarl at him, to bend his fingers back or snap his wrist off. But she didn’t want to. There had been no scorn or sarcasm in Jurian’s voice. A friend. He had become a friend. And against their acquaintances, they needed every friend they could get.

‘Where did you travel to?’ Azriel, as ever, was the steady voice of reason that steered the conversation elsewhere.

‘To the Summer Court. I’d never been to a beach before.’

Jurian had rolled up his sleeve and pressed his arm next to hers. ‘Such an even tan. Anyone would think you’d sunbathed nude, Nesta.’

‘Let them think that then,’ Nesta said, not elaborating any further about her adventure with Lucien. It was precious, and she wanted to keep it private – especially that they had swum naked, twice.

‘It’s brought out the freckles on the bridge of your nose,’ said Cassian, his fingers raised as if he was about to touch them but he suddenly thought better of it. Perhaps it was the cutting glare she’d shot towards him.

Lucien returned with Vassa. Even the queen carried a chair from the dining room while Lucien carried another as well as managing to balance a heavy tray of tea with his other hand. Azriel stepped forwards to take the tray and set it down on the low-slung table in the centre of the room.

‘Good evening,’ Vassa said, surveying the room.

Cassian had gone preternaturally still. But it wasn’t Vassa that he was staring it. His hazel eyes were fixed upon Lucien who knelt on a rug pouring enough tea for everybody in a show of hospitality that they did not deserve. Then his gaze went to Eris, back to Lucien, back to Eris then finally to Azriel on the other side of the room. The darkness around the shadow singer deepened and he gave a nod.

‘Quite a tan, you’ve got, Lucien,’ Cassian drawled, sinking back into the couch.

Eris’ attention snapped to his brother, suddenly noticing the golden glow of his skin now the room was better lit. Nesta had felt pale beside him, even with her own couple of days in the sun, but Eris appeared like a ghost compared to Lucien’s light brown skin.

‘I’ve always caught the sun easier,’ he explained, handing a mug first to Nesta then to Vassa.  

‘Your brothers are always so pale.’

‘The Autumn Court is not known for its scorching temperatures,’ Eris interrupted. ‘I’d look the same if I had spent two days with my mate on a beach in the Summer Court.’

But Nesta did not think that was true. Eris’ red hair was made more vibrant by his pale skin. Lucien’s seemed to match his russet eyes in a far darker tone to his brother. The others brothers mostly had brown hair, but all of them had been fair-skinned like Eris. In the candlelight, Lucien’s skin seemed to match the Illyrians or was darker even. They had noticed something – Cassian and Azriel – something that Eris already knew and that Lucien was oblivious to as he continued ensuring everybody had a drink. A nervous tension flickered between Azriel and Cassian like static that awaited a spark.

‘I think I will go to my room,’ Nesta said. ‘I’m quite tired from travelling.’

What were they seeing in her mate? What did they know?

Her lie was believable. She’d never been one to court attention or social situations in Velaris – and only recently did she tend to spend time with Jurian and Vassa altogether. Lucien stood, murmuring quiet enough that only she could hear.

‘Are you alright?’

‘I want to rest a while.’ He would follow her, Nesta knew. His priority would always be her well-being. ‘Have your meeting then find me. I’ll be waiting.’

Lucien nodded, but before he could step away, Nesta held onto his arm. She didn’t know why she did it. She lost her meticulous planning and reasoning around Lucien. Maybe she had to prove to the others that what they had was real. Maybe it was because the two Illyrians had begun staring at Lucien like an oddity and she knew how it felt. Or perhaps because Lucien had been on edge the moment he’d scented his slippery elder brother in his home.

Nesta leaned her head forwards and kissed Lucien tenderly on the lips. It was not a quick peck, but far more than she would ever dare to do in public usually. His hand stroked across her hip, drawing her in another step.

‘Don’t be too long.’

Her heart thumped against her ribs at the show of affection they’d offered to the others. Word would reach Velaris, as if it was something to be scandalised over.

Nesta was about to press her foot onto the first step when Eris’ voice travelled down the hall way. It sounded as slick and unwanted as oil.

‘Lucky Lucien. The Cauldron-born kingslayer as a mate,’ he crooned.

She started back down the corridor, keen to see if Eris would dare insult her to her face.  

A wave of ice slammed into Nesta down their bond. ‘What is that supposed to mean?’

She hesitated near the doorway, awaiting Eris’ next sneering remark. ‘Would you have chosen Nesta over Jesminda if you’d had the choice? She’s not your usual sort. I wonder if you’d ever have picked her. A mercy really that father made that decision for you.’

Nesta didn’t know if it was a brawl or a row that broke out in the living room. There was a crash then raised voices, Jurian’s bellowing was loudest of all. Vassa had her hands over her head, scurrying from the room, but Nesta shoved past her, silver flames erupting out of her ready to banish Eris to the depths of nothing.

At her entrance, doused in silver fire, the males fell into a stunned silence. Nesta knew she blazed, she could feel the horrid coldness seeping over her skin, blistering it. A few times, she’d played with her magic alone in her apartment in Velaris. She’d taught herself to jail it and throw away the key. Yet it had taught itself the way out from the labyrinth.

‘I suggest you scurry back to your father, Eris, before I show you exactly what a Cauldron-born kingslayer can do.’

The fire formed a halo around her brow, blazing ever brighter, starving for blood. It always ached in her bones, always craved destruction and chaos.

‘Get. Out.’ Every syllable was its own sentence. ‘Now. All. Of. You.’

Rage threatened to consume Nesta. Rage that the Night Court had lowered themselves enough to associate with Eris Vanserra. Rage that Lucien’s home had become the place to meet him.

Her chest rose and fell. She barely even saw Cassian or Azriel go, because her quicksilver gaze was focused solely on Eris as he slunk from the room, no trace of his arrogance. It was a silent warning that Lucien would always be her priority and she would use the powers she loathed to protect him. Lucien was her mate. There were few depths she would not sink to in order to save him from pain. Yet, when Lucien moved to go to her, Eris' words clanged through her skull. Would Lucien have picked her if the bond wasn't there? Was that all they had - a magical bond holding them in place? She turned on her heel and departed to her bedroom, bolting the door behind her.

#steel & flame #lucien x nesta #lucien vanserra #nesta archeron