#arc : i / i fell into darkness and couldn't find the light.

[frankthesnek]

Hello can I get soft kiss 7 for Stony?

Okay, okay so all the other kiss prompt fills have been soft and fluffy and cute. This one gave me angst vibes. I hope thats okay 💕

Come Home Again

Rated G

Prompt: sharing a kiss after not seeing eachother for an extended period of time

750 words

The room was dark when Tony opened his eyes, a dull depthless darkness that was a far cry different from the mystical and star spotted blackness he'd been surrounded by in space.

Right… he was back.

Thinking was normally an easy task for Tony, but recalling the events that led him here was difficult and physically taxing. He remembered landing, remembered clinging to Nebula and limping down the ramp, remembered—

“Steve?” The word was horse and croaking as it left his lips. Steve's hands on his arm and shoulder, too tight and almost painful on his depleted worn out body, the solid heat at his side as Steve had helped him inside—that he remembered, but in a too good to be true dreamy way he wasn't sure he should believe.

“Tony?"

The sound of his name was startling, and Tony flinched harshly before sluggishly turning his head to find Steve sitting off to the side of his bed. His face was shadowed, the plains and angles of it illuminated gently by the subtle glow of the nano tech arc. Why did Steve have it?

“I'm sorry for pushing you like that,” Steve's words were hollow, his eyes downcast to the reactor.

Oh.

Tony closed his eyes against the returning memory. Steve’s questions, his own lunatic ramblings as he fell apart. They had ended on fighting so long ago and wound up the same way this time around. The cold of Siberia seemed better than the chemical fresh chill of the medical bay. He had been left alone and cold and broken hearted back then, but at least his spirit had still been intact. It felt like now he'd lost even that.

“It's fine,” Tony mumbled back softly, opening his eyes to find Steve now looking at him. The reactor's light was obscured by Steve's large palm curling around it, the duller lighting making his face look dark and sad.

“It was selfish,” the other man countered. “I shouldn't have—”

“No. No, no, nonono,” the word tumbled out of Tony in a weak and droning mantra, forcing Steve into silence. Tony went quiet too. Breathing and collecting his thoughts, chasing them like scared animals hiding in the fog of his brain. So much had happened, so much had gone wrong. He didn't want this with Steve. Couldn't handle it—not now. Later, later, there would be time for talking and healing and explanations. All the things they had destroyed and that had been lost between them—it wouldn't, couldn't be forgotten but right now, none of it mattered.

“I don't want to argue. I don't want to fight. I'm done fighting. We lost. We lost so much,” the words were fucking bitter—sharp and painful in his too tight dry throat.

“Tony,” Steve stood and moved to the edge of the bed, placing the reactor on the sheets. Its calming blue a bright contrast to the bland white of them.

“I don't care right now about all of our fuck ups—not yours, not mine. Steve, I just wanna come home.” Tony didn't realize the words had brought him to tears until Steve's palm settled over his cheek. Cupping gently like so many times in the past. Tony turned his face into the contact. “I wanna go home,” softer this time, the words spoken into the battle calloused skin of Steve's palm.

“You are home, honey,” Steve said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “You’re home.”

When Steve leaned down over him, the moment felt too long and drawn out. The few seconds it took for Steve's lips to meet his a back breaking straw on top of all the time they had been apart—all the touches they had robbed themselves of.

Tony pressed back simply, not having the energy for more than the firm contact of a couple grounding pecks. Steve lingered, like he always did. His soft mouth brushed tenderly along Tony's jaw, and he felt his stubble catch against the supple softness of the other man's lips.

“You're home now. Get some rest,” Steve whispered into his cheek.

Tony closed his eyes again, barely registering the dip and shift in the bed, already fading back into exhausted sleep. It was only when he heard the steady thump under his ear that he realized Steve had laid down with him; had shifted them so Tony was curled atop him, head pillowed on Steve's powerful chest.

He was home. It was a broken home—cracked picture frames, and unmade beds, and cobweb filled closets—but the foundation was still there. Strong and sturdy, and everything he needed.

#asks #answers #thank you! #angst #getting back together #maybe #post endgame #writing prompt #prompt fic #stony #stevetony #drabble #ficlet #writblr

[rose-bookblood]

When the Stars Alight appreciation week - Day 1

It's WTSA appreciation week, baby! If you don't know what I'm talking about, When the Stars Alight is @aninkwellofnectar's debut novel, the first in her The Essence of the Equinox series.

I grabbed an ARC of WTSA back in March of this year and, partly against my expectations, it became one of my favorite reads of 2023. So, when Camilla announced this appreciation week for her book, I immediately jumped on the train.

Day 1: Reasons why you picked up the book or reasons why you love it

Laila — When I find such an excellent female protagonist, I grab onto her like a monkey. Laila is incredibly complex: she's clever and manipulative, but also compassionate and at times naïve, ambitious, deeply insecure, kind, righteous, just a total gem.

The webbing plot — There's nothing better than a plot with multiple, apparently separate, storylines that slowly intertwine. Threads seem to disappear, only to pop up again when you least expect it, and you find out there's a new knot connecting them to the main story. The buildup is so juicy and I can't wait the end of the series to see the full picture.

The TVD-esque dynamics (but better) — I'm a huge fan of The Vampire Diaries, that show is like cocaine for me, but I also can't help but wish many things were executed better. WTSA takes those dynamics I fell in love with and, in the hands of a great writer, they gain extra degrees of complexity.

The writing — Flowery prose isn't one of the things I actively look for in a book, mostly because the majority of authors do a terrible job at it. Well, here not only is it an essential feature of this novel, the author delivers a beautiful baroque prose that immerses you in her world from head to toe. While reading about the food Laila eats, I was salivating.

The setting and its contrasts — WTSA is split between Soleterea, a land of warmth, summer and life, and Mortos, a land of cold, winter and death. Both are described so vividly you can feel the frost of Mortesian woods and the smell of flowers in Soleterean gardens. The continuous contrast of light and dark, hot and cold, life and death is thematic perfection.

The plethora of female characters — Most of the characters in WTSA are amazingly written women in different roles and a distinct personality each. As someone who also writes majority-women casts of characters, I couldn't not appreciate.

#wtsaweek2023

[dc-x-marvel]

Black Panther Wakanda Forever was emotional

What a movie, y'all! It was a lovely tribute to Chadwick Boseman. The theater was so silent anytime he was onscreen. The reverence and sadness of it all. And that mid credits reveal that T'challa had a mini him was incredible and left a touch of melancholy.

The power of Wakanda and the women on screen was also impressive. Queen Ramonda was such a badass. She also made me cry whenever her family was mentioned. Great acting honestly 👌. Riri Williams was also funny and cool too. Okoye and Nakia's stories were also touching and cool.

But the real showstopper was Namor and his people! Y'all, I lost my breath at their power! The confidence he exuded was off the charts! His arc was the best along with his scenes with Shuri. The emotional turmoil that both were facing was phenomenal. My favorite scene was when he showed her his kingdom. A Whole New World vibes right there! The angst of it all when their alliance fell apart, the destruction, their fight scene. It was all chef's kiss.

Of course there were a few problems, but only two were most notable: the lighting and dialogue. Some scenes were way too dark for me that I couldn't see what was going on. The one where Namor intrudes on the Queen and Princess is one such scene. Meanwhile, the dialogue was hard to understand at points due to the accents and fast pace. I guess I should find a showing with captions to solve this (which is somewhat difficult but whatever). I'll most likely watch it again when it is released on Disney+ (👀💢).

Overall, a good tribute to Chadwick Boseman and one hell of an emotional rollercoaster.

Rating: 8/10

#black panther wakanda forever #wakanda forever #my review #review #queen ramonda #is my fav when it comes to Black Panther #and i ship #namor x shuri #these things can coexist #sigh

[hisuianhellion]

"What have I stumbled myself into..."

The words lingered on Rose's lips as she laid upon the cot she had been assigned. The light of a lamp was settled quietly and calmly alongside of her, up upon the windowsill by the small rock collection the previous occupant had left in their stead. The room (house?) she was being allowed to stay in was... well it wasn't the best. She wasn't uncomfortable at the moment, no, but there was a lingering dread that her back was potentially going to be in a world of hurt in a few nights' time if she didn't find a way to support her back and head... But admittedly, that wasn't the most pressing issue.

In her palm sat her phone. With a new case, new apps and functionality bordering on eerily magical in its accuracy. An "Arc Phone". Bestowed upon her by... what humans call 'Arceus'. A giant giraffe made of light with glowing red eyes. She couldn't get the image of that thing out of her head. She was in her apartment, trying her best not to fall asleep at her computer desk, and then... bam. The chair just fell out from underneath of her, and she fell into complete darkness. It was the strangest damn thing.

And now? She was in a world with creatures that seemed completely benign... with every other damn human scared to even look at them the wrong way. Pokémon. Sure! One had fire along its back. But after it was in its... uh, ball? It was called a Pokéball, right? It seemed chill as all hell! Like it was just waiting to see if someone could safely get it into one. A game to them, that little owl popping out with a hooting giggle when the Pokéball failed. These little creatures that seemed to have boundless energy and abilities wildly beyond the capabilities of humanity, and this scared the hell out of any and all of them not willing to learn more about them.

Laventon was nice. Sweetheart of a gentlemen, he had that British accent. He wasn't afraid of them in the least, but... perhaps that made sense. He was the Pokémon Professor! Guy had his life in the game. And Akari... well, she wasn't lacking for enthusiasm! A little low on the self-esteem meter, but she was still a kid! Like, sixteen, tops. Rose, sitting in her very early twenties, could very much relate.

Cyllene, though. She had Rose wary. There was a coldness to her words, a calculating directness that made it plenty obvious she had a disturbing amount of control in whatever operation was going on in this village. And it had the poor newcomer on edge. She sighed through her nose, bringing a hand up to rub along her eyes as the low light began to let her eyes sag slightly.

Seek out all Pokémon... That was her mission here. Plucked from the jaws of monotonous grinding just to keep a roof over her head in a backwater town in New York, and now she was sitting here in a Japanese-esque world that screamed 'isekai' all over it. Part of her was excited. But the other part of her knew. This was just trading one grind for another. And it seemed, based on Cyllene's words?

It was one that could very much lay her out. Or do far, far worse than that...

... woo.

#pokemon #pokemon legends arceus #pokemon roleplay #pokemon rp #rosy recountings #isekai

[march-harrigan]

okay yay, i hope you sleep well and that you enjoy this when you get up!

potential tw for blood mention?

okay so-- i'm not sure on a premise for the concept, but jervis and reader eventually become friends for one reason or another.

fast-forward and at some point, reader realizes they like him? like they adore him, feel like they're drowning when they're not beside him, completely enamored with him and it's like the entire world outside of him has disappeared- they're fucking obsessed, they're sure they're in love with the guy.

and it scares them - not that they're crushing hard on the hatter who isn't quite all there half the time, but that these feelings are coupled with this itch that consumes them for jervis, and boils at the thought of anyone else. maybe they've never fell for someone this hard before, but they knew this wasn't normal- not right, anyway- but.. it filled them with a sense of fulfillment- or, was it a pang of a lack of sense of fulfillment, before they found jervis?

they don't know, but as it grows- as their entire self drowns in the idea, the presence, of jervis; as the pit in their stomach sinks at the sight of jervis with someone, anyone else but them; as the adrenaline rushes through them at the sight of that bastard who put their hands on him, eyes glazed over and their blood on reader's hands, headlights barely lighting up the display in the dark alleyway before they slip away-

they don't like it. just as jervis suffocates them, the itch drowns them.

but it's addicting, anyway.

(and if jervis were to ever catch wind of this, they couldn't even begin to think of how he'd react- sure, he can be looney, he can be downright possessive himself, but they couldn't bear the thought of rejection or, worse, him avoiding them because of it. what they don't know, what won't necessarily harm them, is that jervis may just feel the exact same way, if he hadn't before)

☎️🎩

Hello again, Anon!

So I did read this this morning, and I reread it just now and I am so completely into it! Like honestly, if you did flesh this idea out enough for a fic for it, I'd read that without a moment's hesitation!

I could see reader's panic over what they've done being a whole arc on it's own. But also(assuming Jervis returns the feelings), I can easily see this escalating into a whole mutual yandere thing. Just with the feelings Reader has been experiencing leading up to the murder and then Jervis' own history with possessive behavior... It's a match made in Hell and I think it'd be thoroughly interesting to see!

And then that brings in the whole question of does Jervis find out at some point in the relationship? Did he already know beforehand? Hell, did he discover it and when Reader tried to explain, it all clicked and the relationship starts there? Is he hiding similar secrets from Reader, or has he been on his best behavior this time around?

Reader trying to rationalize what they've done in their mind because they know Jervis has done pretty much the exact same thing before. The subsequent realization that hiding it from him may be kind of unnecessary, but continuing to hide it because bringing it up now would only let him know that Reader's been keeping secrets and he might question their honesty in the future.

There's so many directions it could all go and it's really grabbing my attention!

#questions answered #cw yandere #maybe? #sorry for the delayed response! #couldn't get to my PC until now and I have a harder time with mobile

[dreamcorechild]

[The corruption arc.]

Chapter Thirteen: Home...? Family...?

Golden rod retraced his steps. Holding the missing poster of grey that he took from his bunker. He remembered how worried and sick his parents was... They beg him.. Begging him to find their son.. Golden rod didn't hesitate to back down on this... He spent days trekking through the woods by their cottage... He thought that he was getting lost to. He spend 3 years developing and forming many information as he can.. He even begged someone to let him borrow their helicopter for him to search the child from the sky.

The forest was big... Huge... And deep... He couldn't find grey.. Nor could he find that one blossom tree... Months later, he sadly have to call of the search.. And telling that to greys parents was the worst thing he did.. He crying.. The screaming...

The acceptance...

Golden rod shook his head... Staring at the cottage for the first time since 2 years... Cloud held his hand. Admiral crossed his arms.. Oil... Was tired.

"Here we are...."

The cottage door was left wide open. Darkness and coldness fills the air... Things were left where they were ever since he last left this property, he flicked on the light, apparently the electricity have been cut off. Cloud didn't like this feeling that they were not alone.

"Well.. We found his home.. Now what... We gotta lure him to us or wait for him to get his butt over here??"

"Settle down Admiral.. We can't conclude this as the key.. We still need to find his parents... They might still be here or left... If so... They didn't leave in such a hurry though..."

"Fine.. Its just.. I'm not the type of guy to wait for something to happen.. NOT WHEN MY FRIEND IS TRAPPED BACK THERE.."

Cloud came over to him.

"Your worried for him, aren't you..."

"Yes... He's been standing up for me ever since we both went to that same school. And now that we're old enough to stand up for ourselves... I never forget all the nice things he did as a sign of my gratitude..."

He looked over the dusty shelves.. Picking up jars of dried up foods... Cobwebs and spider's lurks through the walls and corners. Scaring cloud cowardly. Admiral turned his head. Shaking it, he walked to the child. Giving him a proper lesson.

"Listen Cloud... Your here for a reason. To face different challenges that you may not have come across before. Never cower in fear and let the darkness consumes you. Face it and fend of your fear... You wanted to save the world right..."

"Y.. Yeah.."

"Then choose wisely.... One decision could take you to the light.."

Cloud kept those words in mind. To get those from the soldier of the seas was special to him..

Oil was bouncing on the sofas. Tumbling over, knocking a family photo from the coffee table. He looked over it.. Seeing something that was never there before. Golden rod knew.. Cause he doesn't remember a single word that appeared on that photo.

"Gone...?"

"Huh?"

He picked up the photo.. His mind was all over the place. Attempting to put one conclusion to the other..

And when he knew.. He dropped the photo, stumbling back.

"NO... NO NO NOOO!!!"

Admiral reacted quickly, Grabbing the musketeer.

"Calm.. Calm... Snap out of it... Look at me..."

His eyes were shaken. His breath was reckless.. He turned his head to the cellar, pushing Admiral away.

"GAAAH... THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU GOLDEN ROD... GET BACK HERE!"

He hopped down into the cellar, about to scold Golden rod for shoving him like that.. Once he got down there though, everything hit him like a brick...

Golden rod stared... He turned his head..

"Don't bring them down here... Please.. Admiral.. Don't let them see what we just saw.."

Admiral was just about to say something.. When all of a sudden. The cottage begin to shake. The cottage was old and unstable to hold on.. It was uncared for 2 years.. The woods begin to break. The stones begin to shatter. The glass cracked. The interior collapse..

The four ran out as the cottage fell into place.. They looked back.. If the cottage and its owners just.. Vanished... Gone... Just like that... Cloud and oil stared at the two.. Pale... Traumatised.. They didn't talk to Cloud as he kept constantly asking them on what had happened back there...

They didn't look at each other.. He doesn't need to know... They don't want to know what brought the two parents to take the rope....

The only thing.

Acceptances for a broken heart...

Or grief..

#corruption arc #oc story

[spahhzy]

The Christmas Episode.

.

.

.

Weiss: please...not now...not on Christmas!

Blake: Weiss? What are you doing.

Weiss: oh you know making sure my sanity doesn't catapult into the abyss.

Blake: ...is it Lancaster again?

Weiss shook her head.

Blake: Neptune?

Weiss shook her head again.

Blake: ...Ironwood?

Weiss shook her head pathetically once more.

Blake: Well what and who could get you into such a state on Christmas eve...

Weiss weakly pointed to her right and Blake turned her head in the direction revealing surprise surprise...another dark room with a just a single light shining down...and too Blake's surprise...this time instead of a random object it was...

Yang: Holy shit is that SANTA CLAUSE!?

Blake startled jumped into her GF's arms.

Blake: Where did YOU come from!?

Yang: Details Kitty cat...the real question is who the fuck is interrogating KRIS KRINGLE!?

???: So tell me...

Everyone's eyes widened at the voice was that...it couldn't be!

Oscar or...rather Ozpin stepped forward from the darkness leaning lightly on his cane.

Ozpin/Oscar: why won't you tell me where you workshop is?

Santa: You...you used to be such a cheerful little boy ...what happened Ozpin?

Ozpin: Every year I wrote you letters hoping...pleading to hear back from you...guess my wishes fell on deaf ears huh Mr. Clause.

Santa looking distraut: You were asking for big booty bitches back then!

Ozpin: and do you see any around here? ...exactly...zero bitches...infact I'm headmaster of a school full of big booty bitches but unless I wanna catch a charge I can't do anything.

Santa could only sob.

Ozpin: Hard to save the world when I'm fighting being 'canceled'.

Santa: ok ok! I got a couple of thick elves I can send your way that's the best I can do!

Ozpin just shook his head.

Ozpin: No. The time for reconciliation is over think I'll send Mr. Arc to pay Mrs. Clause a visit and...spread his Christmas cheer.

Santa could only look at Ozpin in horror.

Santa: what do you mean spread his Christmas cheer?

The only response he got was Ozpin snapping his fingers as suddenly Qrow came out of the shadows.

Santa looked at him in defiance.

Santa: and who is this dusty drunk looking mf...Ozpin im going to find you!

Qrow just lifted Santa up and took him away.

Santa: I know when you are sleeping...I know when your awake!

.

.

.

Yang: wow...Ozpin can hold grudges huh.

Blake: Can you blame him? Zero bitches indeed.

Weiss just collapsed to the floor in a heap as her sanity eroded away.

#jaune arc #ruby rose #rwby lancaster #blake bellodona #yang xiao long #rwby ozpin #santa claus #tysongrantsmith #bumbleby

[sonoftatooine]

Hello! Lars AU and Zygerria AU for the WIP ask game? :)

Hi, thanks for the ask! :D

LARS AU

So the Lars AU is an AU where Anakin doesn't turn to the Dark Side during the events of ROTS, but is captured by Palpatine, who attempts to force him into becoming his Sith apprentice. Two years later, he manages to escape to Tatooine and is taken in by Owen and Beru, and in the process meets a young Luke, who was taken to the Lars by the Jedi after Padme's death. Here's a little snippet from a scene between Beru and Anakin:

“The Empire will come looking for me, and it's only a matter of time before it occurs to them to look here,” Anakin said, unable to stop the desperate, pleading tone from seeping into his voice at her words. He had to make her understand. She had to understand. “And if they find you harbouring me, Force knows what will happen to you. Or to Luke. And I couldn't— I can't let that happen. I have to—”

He had to, he had to— He thought of Luke—tiny little Luke with his soft blond hair and bright blue eyes and his wide, gummy smile that would have outshone the full power of Tatooine's twin suns if he had been inclined to compete with them. Luke who was young and innocent and gentle, and whom he loved more than anything else in the Galaxy already. Then he thought of Sidious, his self-styled master. Of that awful dark cell, of Sith lightning and torture and screams. He had been young and innocent once, and Sidious had seen that and sought to rip every ounce of that innocence out of him until there was nothing left but the perfect weapon for him to wield against the people of the Galaxy. If he found Luke— If he did that to Luke—

“You won't change my mind, Beru,” he said firmly—or rather, he tried to say firmly. The memories of his time with Sidious combined with the fear for his son had left a violent tremor in his voice that he could not hope to conceal despite his efforts. But he had to, he had to leave. He couldn't let his resolve be shaken, no matter how much her soft, sad expression threatened to wear him down. "This way is safer. For everyone. It's safer for everyone."

Beru frowned. She took a step forward and, unfolding her arms from across her chest, slowly reached out a hand to rest on his upper arm. The light brush of her fingertips was barely noticeable beneath the rough fabric of his cloak, but after so long imprisoned, alone in the dark, it seemed to him to burn like the pits of Mustafar. He shivered--nothing, this time, to do with the cold of the desert night--unable to turn away from her gaze. Her eyes shone too bright beneath the light of the three moons.

"Is it safer for you?" she asked.

ZYGERRIA AU

My Zygerria AU is a slight rewrite of TCW's Zygerria arc. It's mostly focused on the after effects of the mission, but there's several flashbacks of Anakin's time with the Zygerrian Queen. This is a little extract from one of them:

“I will not serve you” he snarled, but even to his own ears, it sounded false, and the Queen saw through his bluster with such ease that he might as well have stayed silent. She laughed—a cruel, self-satisfied sound that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end—and with that predatory grace that made him want to fight and flee and scream with frustration at his inability to do either, prowled to his side, too close, a long-fingered hand coming to rest with deceptive gentleness at his shoulder. The armour kept him from feeling the prick of her claws, but her light grip was like a vice nonetheless.

“Your heart is not in your words,” she said, circling around him so they were face to face. He refused to meet her golden eyes, alight with something that he didn't dare put a name to. “You will stand beside me—a testament to my power.”

“I shan't—”

“Oh, you shall,” Scintel interrupted him, and her voice was full of a dark promise that made his

throat close up as surely as if the hand on his shoulder were wrapped about his windpipe in a crushing grip. “If you will not stand willingly by me, I shall have you kneel instead.”

He wanted to defy her. He wanted to spit in her face, to seize the electro-whip from her belt and pull it about her throat until her neck snapped. Anything to get that horrible, hungry, triumphant gaze away from him. Anything to keep at bay the awful encroaching horror of what was happening to him, of what could not—should not—be happening to him, not again. But he could not move, neither to bend to her whim nor to disobey her. He was frozen in place, caught fast by his own panic, like a rat snared in a trap, and in that moment, he felt just as helpless.

“Kneel, Skywalker, or I hurt your friends!”

The order was hissed low and fierce, imperious and impatient. He felt the hand on his shoulder pushing down hard, but he barely noticed. All he could think of was them. Ahsoka, the little padawan too young to be in this war, that he had sworn, when the Council had thrust the responsibility of her care onto him, that he would keep safe, away from harm. Rex, the loyal captain who had never asked to fight this war, and who deserved so much more than the loss and pain that he and his brothers had endured. Obi-Wan, the man who had been both brother and father to him for so long, who, despite their issues, he could never wish to see hurt. All three of them, so precious to him, and all three of them in deadly danger in the hands of this woman who would not hesitate to make good on her word should he displease her. Their safety could only be bought with his obedience. The thought cut clean through his paralysis, searing and bright and scorching as the saber that had once sheared clean through the flesh and bone of his right arm, and he knew that there was only one choice he could possibly make.

Like a great tree felled at its roots, Anakin crashed to his knees.

ASK ME ABOUT MY WIPS

#star wars #star wars fic #fic #mine #my fic #anakin skywalker #beru whitesun #beru lars #anakin & beru #lars au #miraj scintel #tw slavery #zygerria au #zygerria rewrite #sfw #binary sons

[polar534]

Jersey Stealing Pt. 4

Titan, this was a lot longer then I had ever planned on it being. I started writing Jersey Stealing I want to say MONTHS ago. You guys have only recently seen the parts that have been sitting done for ages. I guess it's just a side effect of this being my secondary, recovery project. Something fun I can write up while I'm at work.

Anyways, I'll stop babbling now and let y'all get to the well deserved end to this arc. This one is long. It's got a lot of loose threads tied up and it's also got my first instance of me ever typing out 'I love you' in any sort of writing... so that's a thing. Hopefully I did it alright.

(If you like this/want to read the other parts/want to figure out what the heck this Hockey AU is in the first place, consider checking out the MasterPost.)

***

Amity tapped her fingers, the sharp sound echoing loudly throughout the empty house. Sighing, she pushed her chair out and set aside the homework she was working on. The quiet nature of the house was almost physically bothering her as she walked to the window.Opening up to the sounds of the street below and woods behind, Amity took a deep breath and let the sounds comfort the growing restlessness creeping into her bones. Normally on the days she didn't have practice, both her and Luz would spend the evening in the Boiling Isles, visiting Lilith and Eda at the palace. There was always something to do, and Eda in particular was always looking for some excuse to sneak away from her duties even for just a little bit. It was something they both looked forward to. A time in which everyone could catch up, Gus and Willow included, outside of school or Willow and Amity's games.

However, today was different. Luz had a lot less shine in her eyes as Amity said goodbye to her at the portal, something that rarely happened. It only furthered Amity's resolve in her decision to stay behind and find some sort of resolution to the incident that now had been plaguing her girlfriend for almost a week.

The itching in her bones began to crawl into her skin as Amity felt her restlessness increase. Moving to the bed she grabbed some shoes and slid them on, making sure to grab her stick and jersey on the way out the door. Even if it was late, she knew Luz wouldn't be home anytime soon, and there was no telling when Camilla would be off of work. Equipment in hand, she moved down the street quickly, the daylight slowly fading behind her.

***

Crack!

The slam of the puck against the stick offered little resistance to Amity's swing as she continued the course she had designed for herself. Lapping the rink she crashed into the football training dummy she and the team had borrowed (stolen) from the local highschool. Feeling the weighted dummy barely move against the slick ice had her hitting the next lap even faster then the first.

Crack!

This time the swing was straight through the puck, almost as if Amity was merely cutting through the air with her motions. The puck flew through the air and pushed the netting of the goal to it's limit as the witch ducked her head down and lapped the rink a second time, building up speed to once again charge the dummy. Her chest heaved as her feet slowed in their steps, the ice now almost like water under her skates. There was no more traction to be gained and she instead allowed her body to continue it's momentum as she practically soared towards her goal. Her mind emptied as she plowed into the object in front of her, shoulder out, intending to cause as much damage as possible. This time, the metal sled holding the dummy up slid effortlessly through the ice as it flew backwards. The force of her impact wasn't clean though. Losing her balance and with too much speed to stop, Amity careened around the edge of where the dummy had stopped and she hit the ice hard. The green-haired girl barely registered the pain as her stick flew from her hand and she was left spinning out on the ice.

The witch panted heavily as she lay on the frozen rink, completely dazed, her heartbeat thudding so loudly in her ears that she could barely think.

As the pain of her fall caught up with her, so did the emotions she had tried to outrun for the past week. She wasn't aware of the first tear that slipped down the side of her cheek, but the many following after had her face almost bitterly cold in chilly temperature of the arena. A question repeated in her mind over and over.

Why?

The tears didn't bother her. Neither did the reason she was shedding them.

Why?

What bothered her most was Luz. Why was this the thing, this hope, this person, the one thing to break Luz like Amity had never seen? Why did this emotion, this defeat, seem to haunt Luz like a ghost that was all too familiar? Amity's heart broke for Luz, and maybe she was finally allowing herself to feel the pain, the burden she had tried carrying since she had seen it. Her mind raced to fill in the gaps and answer the questions as the adrenaline from her training began to crash and her body melted further into the ice.

She thought about all she knew and had learned about Luz's history in her own world. This world that Amity now had become a part of. It seemed like every day was a struggle for Luz, her wild and dangerous ideas being so obviously unappealing to others. Forcibly being isolated, even when you are trying to reach out was a lot different from how Amity grew up. She was always welcome, but never felt like she belonged… never wanted to.

'I think that’s why Luz held on to the hope that one day they could be friends'

It was Luz's connection to Amity that severed the last chance of her bonding to her past. It was the step over the line for Sasha, the person Luz had hung her last hopes on before she met Willow, before she met Gus, before she met Amity.

The adrenaline was gone. Her body aching, Amity crawled her way to her feet feeling more hollow then ever before. Slowly, she slid the training dummy off the ice, and grabbed her stick. Her eyes glanced to the puck that was still in the empty space of the goal as she packed the last of her equipment away. Glancing at her phone she saw that there were missed messages.

-I'm home now.

Missed Call from Luz

-Amity?

-Where are you?

-I hope you're ok.

Amity took one last look at the ice behind her before she tapped out a quick response, slinging her jersey off and over her shoulder as she walked out of the building.

-Sorry. I was practicing.

-I'll be home soon.

***

Amity crept up the stairs and to the bedroom. Peeking open the door slowly she saw that Luz was curled up on the bed, wrapped up snugly in a blanket and using a small lamp to read by. As soon as the door opened her eyes shot up and the ghost of a smile lit up her face in the relative darkness.

"Ahhh, there she is!"

Amity smiled back as she wormed her way further into the room and set her equipment down. Kicking off her shoes she sat down on the edge of the bed as Luz set her book down and clung onto her back, her head resting comfortably in the crook of the witch's neck.

"I'm sorry I was late." Amity mumbled quietly as she leaned her face into Luz's, enjoying her girlfriend's warmth as it chased away the bite of cold that still lingered from the rink.

"I am too." Luz rumbled back into her ear as she squeezed her arms tightly around the witch's torso and pulled her fully down onto the bed.

"Oh? Miss me much Noceda?" Amity teased as they both wrapped the blanket around them and settled in, Luz in Amity's arms.

Luz merely responded with a low growl as she snuggled further into the other's girls embrace, making sure her face was buried into Amity's chest. After a moment of enjoying being close and together again, Luz finally lifted her face. Her eyes were tired, but they held the shine of curiosity that Amity was used to. Deep in those wide brown eyes there was a flicker of the Luz she knew and loved.

Then that flicker faded.

"So… you were out pretty late."

Amity nodded. It wasn't an accusation, just a comment. It didn't stop the guilt from rushing in however.

"I know. I'm sorry. I was caught up in practicing and didn't realize the time."

"Lokte's brother stopped by earlier." Luz said calmly.

Amity's blood froze. It wasn't as if she wanted to hide what she had been up to for the last few days, but rather didn't want to worry Luz any more then she already was. It was too late now though.

"He wanted to apologize. For what happened at the game. He looked pretty spooked. Guess Lokte didn't go easy on him."

"I wouldn't either." Amity growled stiffly. It may have been a genuine mistake, but that didn't mean the threat didn't bother her. What was worse was that Luz still seemed completely calm. Amity didn't know what to expect. Would she be mad? Or just disappointed?

Silence fell between the pair.

"You talked with them today… didn't you?"

There was another moment of silence before Amity nodded. Luz continued to face away from her, but the witch knew that her girlfriend knew the answer before she had asked. After a few more agonizing seconds, Luz finally faced her. The smallest sliver of a smile crept it's way on her face, and the light in her eyes seemed to come back ever so slightly.

"Sooo… just how obnoxious is Bryce?" Luz asked, gently teasing. Her light voice instantly broke through the stiff air between them.

Amity let out a sigh of relief as she laughed a bit to herself.

"I have no idea how you put up with him at all. He's got to be one of the dullest people I have ever met. I told him multiple times I was your girlfriend and he still couldn't take the hint! He kept trying to ask me out." The witch growled lowly, unconsciously squeezing Luz tighter.

"Oh. Huh..." Luz hummed thoughtfully.

"Luz there was no way I was going to say yes. You know that right?"

Luz sat up and waved her hand as if dismissing Amity's thought.

"Yeah of course I know that." She assured the witch almost like an after thought, now looking curiously out the window. "It's just weird. Bryce isn't the type to ask girls out. He just hasn't ever been interested in dating before."

"Could've fooled me." Amity grumbled unhappily, Byrce's aggressive way of flirting still very much prevalent in her mind.

Luz turned back to her with another smile, this one supportive and warm.

"Oh Ami. He's still very much a trashbag." Luz said slowly, her distaste for Bryce very barely hidden. "You didn't have to go talk to them for me you know." She added after a pause, her voice growing quiet.

"Well. Let's see, they threatened you, called you a liar and then tried to go on with their life as if everything was ok. As if there wasn't any consequences." Amity listed as she stared at the ceiling and counted on her fingers. After thinking for awhile she stared hard at Luz. "Yeah. I wasn't about to let that happen."

Luz's smile grew a little more genuine as both girls looked at each other. She leaned back up against Amity as they settled back down into the bed. There wasn't anything more to say.

"So practicing huh? Did you use the football dummy?" Luz asked suddenly and excitedly.

Amity couldn't help but smile, it had been Luz's idea to use it (steal it) in the first place.

"It was a little weird to use, but honestly on the second try I sent it flying."

"Awesome." Luz breathed. "I demand you take me along next time."

Amity laughed. "You've been spending too much time with King." She teased gently as she sat up to lean against the bed frame. Luz promptly flopped across her lap and uncovered her book from earlier to flip open.

"Nonsense." The human girl dismissed as her eyes began to scan the pages again.

"What are you reading anyways?" Amity asked after a pause told her the conversation might be over.

"Shhhhhhh." Luz reached over and lazily flopped a hand against Amity's face in an attempt to gently shush her. "I'm almost done with this scene."

Raising an eyebrow, Amity patiently waited, unaware that she and Luz would soon spend the next 2 hours getting into the first book of a brand new series. After thoroughly researching to find out that yes, the rest of the series was available at the library, the two girls settled in for the night. As they were drifting off, Luz holding Amity tightly to her chest, the witch had almost completely forgotten about the trials they had both been through. The weight of their trauma seemed so far away, lost in the warmth of the blankets and her girlfriend's arms.

No matter what happened, if every day ended with Luz right beside her, Amity knew they could and they would survive anything that life threw at them.

Above her, Luz buried her face into her hair, breathing in deeply as sleep overtook her.

"…mity…" She mumbled sleepily.

Amity couldn't help but giggle a bit. Luz hated falling asleep, always clinging to her consciousness despite how exhausted she was. Always finding some excuse to stay up just a little longer.

"Yes?"

"… thanks."

Amity's ears twitched before a small smile appeared on her face. She snuggled into Luz further.

"Anytime." The witch reassured her as she heard her girlfriend sigh happily above her. The room grew quiet once again and Amity was almost fully asleep by the time Luz spoke next.

"I love you."

The heat rushed to Amity's cheeks, as it always did when she heard those 3 little words. Her heart skipped a bit as it beat faster in it's desperate attempt to return the affection.

"I love you too Luz."

***

Luz didn't return to normal right away, though the night clearly had an effect on her. However, it never took long for the unbreakable spirit of Luz Noceda to rear it's head again and soon enough, The Otter's hockey practice was once again filled with the sounds of rambunctious applause and cheering. The entire team seemed to be effected by the return of their number 1 fan as they all began to work harder, feeling the hope return. After all, they were 4-1 and were still riding high on their winning streak.

Amity and Lokte especially felt the effects of Luz's return to form, not only on a personal level, but also with the renewed gusto of their team.

Which is why, on the last practice before their big game, everything came to an almost halt as the door of the rink opened and a stranger appeared looking very lost.

It wasn't as if the majority of the team knew this new person, but they recognized the bad news this person brought as their star player completely froze. Amity recognized the figure immediately. She was already furiously skating off the ice as they started to approach Luz, Lokte quickly calling for a 5 minute break behind her. Up in the stands, Luz looked up, surprised to see a face beside her in the usually barren stands. She was even more surprised by just how familiar the face was.

Beside her, Sasha was clenching tightly to her arm, looking absolutely everywhere but at Luz herself. She looked like she was trying to form a sentence as the commotion on the ice finally caught up to them. Both girls turned to see Amity, desperately pulling off her skates in the players box, her face furious.

"Wait! Wait! I can explain!" Sasha called out as they watched Lokte skate up next to Amity who growled out a quick response. Now both players seemed set on heading up to the stands, completely uncaring about the former bullies cry.

Luz didn't know what to do. Her mind had frozen when she saw Sasha and not knowing what to think, she didn’t know what to say. Her eyes were locked on Lokte and Amity as they started climbing the stairs to where she was, feeling almost grateful that she would have some sort of backup in just a few moments.

It wasn't that she was scared, but her chest seemed to ache the same way it had the last couple of days and she was acutely aware that she seemed to shrink in Sasha's presence. Luz knew that she hadn't been herself in the days following her encounter with Sasha and Bryce before. It had taken a lot out of her, and although she always wanted to look for the best in people, she wasn't keen to repeat that experience.

Especially with how worried Amity had been.

"Ok. Well since it definitely seems like I'm about to be chased from this place," Sasha spoke up, interrupting Luz's fleeting thoughts and quickly turning to her with wide eyes. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. Really. I'm not looking for any sort of forgiveness. I don't… I don't deserve that. Not yet. Maybe not ever. I just… I was hoping we could talk."

Luz merely blinked, her mind swirling. She was still very much aware of her girlfriend closing in on them, and Sasha's already flighty behavior. She knew she needed to make a move to stop something from happening but she couldn't think past the girl's words.

'I'm sorry'

"You… wanted to talk?" Luz finally choked out, finding some sort of sticking point to allow herself to speak again.

Sasha almost looked a little sheepish, her fearful eyes darting back and forth between the hockey players quickly coming up the stairs and the girl she had hurt.

"Yeah. For all the years I've known you… I realized I know absolutely nothing about you." The blonde haired girl laughed.

The laugh was so genuine that Luz couldn't help but laugh with her. After all, everything she said was true. They had known each other for a long time, but they were still practically complete strangers. It was Luz who had always wanted that to change, but Sasha had never made an attempt to fix anything between them before. Time was running out however as Sasha turned to leave, clearly afraid of the players coming up the steps.

She was quickly stopped by Luz's hand on her arm.

"Hey! I thought I told you not to go near her again!" Amity snarled, now being close enough to yell.

Luz could feel the shiver of fear that shot through Sasha as Amity bared her fangs. Again, she couldn't help but smile, after all, Amity was pretty terrifying when she wanted to be. Looking absolutely ready to bolt, Sasha turned to Luz with wide eyes, clearly praying that this wasn't some big trap. Luz only winked as a response.

Letting her arm go, Luz stood up and put herself between Amity and Sasha, holding her arms out to the side to fully block the girl behind her.

Amity froze as Lokte stopped on the steps below her, their arms crossing in frustration.

"Luz?" The witch asked tentatively. Her voice was full of concern and worry, all traces of anger almost completely fading as she stared at her girlfriend in confusion.

Luz took a deep breath.

"It's okay Ami. She just wants to talk."

Amity bristled in anger, but she did her best to remain calm. "Are you ok?"

Luz glanced behind her and took note of Sasha's wide, shocked eyes. Her face was blank as she turned back around to face her girlfriend.

"Give me a stick and I'll make sure she doesn't get too out of line." Luz smirked after a short pause.

A startled gasp from behind her had Lokte and Luz both laughing while Amity merely rolled her eyes. Taking a step forward she planted a kiss on her girlfriend's cheek.

"Let me know the moment she starts bothering you, ok?" Amity whispered. Luz caught her hand as she backed up again and held it tight as she flashed a confident smile.

"Of course." Luz grinned at her as she swung the witch's hand and let it go. "You just get back to practicing. No need to stop on my behalf."

"I could name several reasons." Lokte interjected, still looking rather distrustful of the girl tentatively peeking out from behind Luz.

Despite their reluctance, Amity nodded at Luz and dragged her friend back down to the rink. Luz watched them leave for just a bit before turning to Sasha with a grin.

"Alright. Crisis adverted." She laughed playfully. "Just be grateful she didn't jump at ya from the ceiling. I've seen it happen. It's not pretty."

Sasha laughed nervously. "So… does this mean we can talk?"

Luz laughed again as she fearlessly grabbed Sasha and forced her to sit next to her on the bleacher.

"Do you know how long I've been waiting to hear you ask me that?"

…

Amity slid into the seat next to Luz as she watched her teammates wrap up on the ice. Sasha had left only a little while ago and the witch could see a noticeable slouch to her girlfriends shoulders. Despite that, Luz barely moved as Amity gently reached for her hand.

"How are you doing?" She asked quietly, weaving her fingers through Luz's own.

After a short pause, Luz squeezed her fingers back and looked up at her with watery brown eyes. Amity immediately tensed. She didn’t trust that look and if Sasha had hurt her again…

Well the girl hadn't left that long ago, if she hurried, there was still a definite chance that the witch could catch her. She was preparing to grab her stick and hurry out the door as Luz finally spoke.

"We aren't friends yet…" Luz stated slowly, the light in her eyes vibrantly bright as she spoke.

"But it's a start."

#toh #toh au #hockey au #the owl house #lumity #the owl house au #these girls are fluffy #finally finished this monster #i've got like 2 other short shots I'll post eventually #then it's on to probably Clothing Incident #Or Hockey Injury #ok I'll shut up now

[savagesbonergarage]

Nightsister OC pics and backstory ❤️

So I kinda got my Nightsister oc worked out today!

Meet Eilantha!

No makeup and with makeup since I like both. :) I know her outfit is Rey’s, but it turned out to be the one I liked best after going through all of them. This was so much fun to do! I’m on mobile rn so I don’t have a link, but search ‘rinmaru star wars avatar creator’ and it should be the first result.

The nightbrother is also an oc called Sever. He’s more bulky in my head and his tattoos are different and more brown than black, but whatevs. Also he looks more like a teenager here, which is NOT the vibe, lads. Mans is in his late 20's-early 30's. 👍

I know I’m sorta biased and all since she’s mine, but I’m in love with her? I’m not a huge fan of the Nightsisters and their misandry and general terrible-ness, but this girl is the exception. 💕 Learn more about her under the cut if you’d like. :)

She was born in 46BBY, making her around 27 in the final year of the clone wars. From the time she was a youngling it was clear that she had a natural affinity for magicks and spellcasting, which allowed her to participate in more advanced rituals and rites from an early age. This inevitably caused some contention among the sisters in her age group that felt this privilege was wasted on her, and therefore she had few friends during her time within the coven. She didn’t really mind, as she preferred to spend her days on her own anyway, learning as much as she could about whatever she fancied (usually spells that piqued her interest whose texts she discreetly snuck from within the cavern).

When she wasn’t studying, she loved music - writing, playing, and singing. It wasn’t anything like the typical malicious sounds of tribal chanting and drums you’d hear from within the grotto; not that she didn’t appreciate that also as she practiced it well, but her heart leaned toward a softer, more soothing genre of arias and melodies, bordering on lullabies based on her wanderlust, and, though she’d never admit it, her loneliness.

As she reached adulthood, she underwent the trials for her dark baptism as all Sisters did, which consisted of returning from a challenging hunt to add a token from her kill to the Water Of Life, and receiving her ichor tattoos that signified her coming-of-age before being ritualistically bathed in the ominous liquid which sanctioned her as an active member of the Nightsisters.

After this, I have two different routes (or however many, depending on who I’m shipping her with at the moment 😅 bc I ship her with everyone, no lie) that I like to take with her story. The first is expanded upon in the fic by @fallenrepublick here (still my favorite thing!) where she starts sneaking away into the nightbrother village and befriends Savage and Feral before they go through Asajj’s selection trails. This is the nicer, less-traumatic arc.

This next one gets really, really dark. I'm not going to post it all here bc honestly this post doesn't need all that angst, so I'll save that for later. Essentially, I like to think that Eilantha did at one time have a nightbrother of her own (Sever) that she actually loved, rather than treated as a slave. As you can imagine it doesn't end well, but we're not gonna get into that. We'll talk about how they meet. :)

Instead of sneaking away to the village, Eilantha is pressured into conducting her own selection trails by Mother Talzin. She doesn’t inherently have any reason to object, after all, she was taught that this is was simply the way of things. Part of her even looked forward to obtaining a manservant, whose loyalty would belong to her and her alone.

Perhaps he’d be a useful asset when it came to sneaking spelltomes to and from the vaults, and maybe he’d even be the only one staying by her side while she practiced her songs. What if he’d even appreciate them? Not that he’d have much of a choice, but the thought was comforting nonetheless.

From the moment she stepped foot in the village, all she could focus on was the feeling of the uneasy and fearful gazes of the men who undoubtedly knew more of what was to come than she did. She chose her roster at random, unsure of what she should have really been looking for or what she actually wanted from a servant. Even before the fighting, she knew deep down that she didn’t want to inflict any unnecessary harm on them…but why? From what she’d overheard at home, the violence was half the fun.

It wasn’t.

She evaded and blocked every blow with ease, yet avoided retaliating and taking the offensive in any manner that would prove fatal, causing the battle to go on far longer than anticipated to the point where Brother Viscus insisted that she take the next opening for the kill. With reluctance, the blade of her weapon collided with the ribs of the next brother to reveal himself a target. She watched in horror as the light faded from his hateful, reflective eyes, and she was nearly sick. She didn’t want to do it, but it had been done, and it couldn’t be undone. His body thudded against the ground and she screamed.

“Enough!”

The battlefield went silent, and as she came to her senses she attempted to save face.

“I’ll have none of them!”

Before Brother Viscus could interject with any alternative propositions, she was gone. She ran, fleeing as far away across the rocky terrain as she could. She didn’t cry; at least not until she was certain she was alone. She felt so pathetic - Nightbrothers were meant to be disposable, yet she couldn’t handle killing one. Her shame shifted into heartbreak, and she crouched low and wept for the death of the brother she’d just caused, as well as for all those who came before him. All the needless, thankless, mindless deaths of these men whose lives may not have mattered to the Sisters, but they mattered to someone.

As night fell, she trudged along the jagged landscape and thought of what explaination she’d give to Mother Talzin upon returning home. She had run in the opposite direction of where her speeder was stationed at the base of the village, so she had plenty of time to consider on the long journey back. She casually hummed a tune to herself in some meager attempt to self-soothe, which served to distract the shadow that had been trailing her for some time. The sound of a twig snapping in the rocks behind her alerted her to the presence and she confronted him.

"Are you lost?" she asked in a derogatory tone after he revealed himself.

"I'm not."

Of course not, this was his home, after all. She couldn't say the same for herself, however, she pressed him further.

"Then why are you following me? I never asked for an escort."

The amber-skinned nightbrother looked as though he were choosing his words carefully, though if his aim was self-preservation he'd done a terrible job of it.

"I saw you crying."

Eilantha was hit with a pang of embarrassment, though she feigned otherwise as her eyes met the ground.

"Well, you can forget what you saw. Now leave me alone."

She turned away, but the brother remained there in quiet contemplation before he spoke again.

"I've never seen a Sister cry. I've never seen a Sister feel."

Something about those words struck her directly in her heart. The confirmation that she was inherently considered to be a heartless monster in the view of these villagers hurt a little more than anticipated, though she had no right to refute it. No amount of apologies would ever remedy the divide that separated the Nightsisters from the Nightbrothers, regardless of how she felt. She clenched her fist as she turned to face him again.

“I said, leave me alone. Don’t make me-”

She actually choked on her words, unable to say the rest.

Don’t make me put you in your place.

Despite her partial warning, the nightbrother stepped closer. He grabbed the edge of his already tattered tunic and tore a piece of it off, inspecting it for cleanliness before holding it out to her. Eilantha froze, uncertain of what to make of this interaction.

“You aren’t done,” he explained.

She hadn’t realized that her hot tears continued pouring down her cheeks during her retort. She accepted the cloth with some reluctance, her dainty fingers lightly brushing against his as she took it and dabbed it against her wet face. He promptly turned and started walking away, as instructed. This strange...kindness, or rather, strange act of servitude via obligation perturbed the young witch, whose thoughts were now fixated solely on the zabrak male.

“Wait, Brother,” she implored.

He paused, resuming his attention to her after hearing the endearing use of “brother” from a Sister’s lips for the first time. She continued, an unusual softness in her tone.

“What is your name?”

“It’s Sever,” he revealed, “May I ask yours, Sister?”

She repeated his name in her mind, determined never to lose it.

“Eilantha.”

He did the same, only out loud. Gods, it was an enticing sound.

"Will you be returning?"

This was a question she wasn't prepared to receive, and one that she herself didn't fully know the answer to. Her reply was engineered from a concerned sigh.

"I'm not sure. It might be problematic returning to the coven empty-handed. I may come back, I may not. I don't know what the future holds."

Sever pursed his lips slightly.

"If you do find yourself here again, will you..."

He coughed into his fist and centered himself before continuing.

"Will you consider me?"

Her eyes shot up to meet his hopeful gaze, a golden yellow in the night. She had a hunch as to what he was alluding to, but a little clarification was needed.

"Consider you...?"

He swallowed, his countenance displaying concern that perhaps he was stepping too far out-of-bounds this time, but he wanted to know all the same.

"As your mate."

Eilantha clutched the piece of fabric in her hand. This man was offering himself to her. The images of all the nightbrothers staring her down when she first arrived with fear in their faces raced through her mind, revealing the dread the men felt when they were met with her kind, and yet this one was volunteering. She wasn't sure if she should be flattered or angry, as any other Sister likely would be at a savage that dared to seek special permissions. Of course, she wasn't like that.

Imagining him as her mate, however, was certainly...something. She thought of how she would discover just how much of him was tattooed and he would learn the same of her. She could claim him right then and there if she wanted, and he would be obliged to obey. It would solve her worries about returning home if she decided on a servant after all, although, her soul was unsteady. Though she was entitled to any male she desired, she couldn't allow herself to do it. Even though this man was offering, it would weigh on her conscience knowing that even a part of him would only be with her out of fear and obligation, rather than his own free will. This nightbrother wasn't free. None of them were.

"I'll consider it," she replied genuinely.

This news seemed to please him to some extent, a tiny smirk curling at the corner of his lip.

"I'll look forward to the possibility of serving you, Sister Eilantha."

She watched as he turned a final time and disappeared further into the darkness, leaving her alone with her busied mind.

The course was set for the Nightsister temple once she finally got to her speeder, servant-less. She looked over her shoulder to see multiple pairs of glowing golden eyes quizzically prying at her in the darkness, and she smiled before taking off.

It was a long journey home, and the entire trip her mind was occupied with thoughts of the intriguing zabrak male who saw her for what she truly was. She pulled out the tattered cloth from her pocket and pressed it against her chest as the wind rushed all around her before bringing it to her lips and kissing it.

It became her greatest treasure.

That is, until she finally had the real deal in her arms months later when the separation became too much to bear, and they arranged to meet in secret during their first rendezvous of many.

Sever, my treasure.

#Nightsister #nightbrother #star wars ocs #Eilantha x Sever #savage opress #feral opress #dathomir #maul #darth maul #mother talzin #tcw #brother viscus #oc x canon

[sweetmemories2606]

Jerza Day 2020

Hey everyone! I've been off here for a while, sorry about that.  Life just got in the way of my writing, something I'm sure you can understand. Although, when I saw on my calendar that today is Jerza Day,  I knew that I couldn't miss this opportunity to honour this amazing ship. Taking advantage of the fact that my Introduction to Creative Writing Course has pushed me to write poetry, I decided to try coming up with some poems.   It's something completely different from my usual style writing, but I hope you enjoy it!

Part 1: Short poems (Tankas. 5 lines, 5-7-5-7-7 structure

Poem 1: Her colour Everything was red Because this was her colour Scarlet like her name He remembered yesterday When she had let him love her

Poem 2: For you Once lost in darkness She had helped him find the light Now freed by kindness For her he would always fight For him she would remain alive

Poem 3: Unspoken Her heart was broken But there was the unspoken words he never said, the connection they still shared Giving hope it was not over

Poem 4: Heaven and Sins Blinded by a dream of heaven, freedom and joy Ignoring his sins Their whole lives he had destroyed How could there be forgiveness?

Poem 5: Sunset Sunset was their hour When in a field of flowers They had found true bliss At last they had shared a kiss Love confirmed and fears dismissed

Poem 6: Fairy Queen Beautiful and strong They called her the Fairy Queen She felt it was wrong Undeserving to be seen But he saw her nonetheless

Poem 7: For the better For 7 years he had grieved Thought she was gone forever Still he had believed That it was for the better This way he could not hurt her

Poem 8: Be strong Broken and damaged She wondered how to move on Difficult challenge Then he told her to be strong And somehow that was enough

Part 2: Longer poems based on Oracion Seis, my favourite Jerza Arc and when I fell in love with them.

Poem 1: At what cost?

He thought it was over No enemies left to fight Had gotten some closure But things weren't yet right

One issue remained For his memories were lost Could they be regained? What would be the cost?

He convinced himself it was best If they remained forgotten   Knowing happiness wouldn't last If he remembered how rotten His heart had been before Perhaps even evil to the core

Looking at her now He could feel a certain peace Her presence soothed him somehow Putting some of his doubts at ease

He knew that he had hurt her A sin he considered the greatest Yet he hoped to someday deserve Her affections or at least forgiveness

Poem 2: Hope it will last

She wasn't sure how to feel Tired, angry, but also relieved? This day had been so unreal Somehow he still lived

The light inside him was bright She saw his potential for good But even though it felt right She wasn't sure if she could Ignore their turbulent past Or hope for the brightness to last

His memories were gone Unaware of his sins But she remembered enough To keep from reaching for him

Though all she wanted was his embrace She kept a safe distance It wasn't until he was taken away That she gave up this resistance

She fought for him with all she had Hoping for what, she wasn't sure Her feelings barely in check Her heart no longer secure

It was only made worse when he made the most selfless decision One which could not be reversed He left the guards guide him to prison

Losing him again She couldn't pretend not to care Tears came flowing like the rain Heaviness filled the air

Then he turned and gave her a look So familiar it wasn't fair The boy she knew from childhood He was back, she could swear His next words had her shook "It was the colour of your hair"

#jerza #jerza day #fairy tail #fanart #fanfic #poems #jellal fernandes #erza scarlet #appreciation #oracion seis

[hurtthemgently]

A degree in superpowers 

A story i've been working on for a while with some OC’s, beware: don't get invested unless you're ready for things to get bad for our dear hero later on. 

     Serenity cracked open the window to the file room, long blue hair trailing behind her in a ponytail. Stepping inside, her ice-blue eyes scanned the letters on the side of each cabinet. Project Prometheus would be filed under "P". The prime suspect in the origin of the recent boom in superpowers. Including her own.    "Hey Arctica," a soft voice said from behind her. "Turn around slowly, and don’t even try to use your powers," It was plasmos, the most annoying superhero ever. Why couldn’t he just let her do villainy in peace?    Of course, Serenity had expected him to come. That’s why she had part of a half-baked idea. Because the best villains always have a plan. "Aww, and here I was, just hoping to be stopped by that frustratingly charming smile," sadistic with a hint of boredom. Good.     "Don’t be mean. We both know how this ends,” it was like he was trying to calm a stray dog. Serenity just wanted to punch him in his perfect teeth, mess up his perfect wavy brown hair, and monolog over how terribly, awfully perfect he was. He tries way too hard with the media.     "Yes, we do. We fight. I win, and I get away. You win, and you lecture me on switching sides while I plan an escape. Either way, you look like a fool, so, I always win."    "So true it hurts."    "Shall we then?"     She sent a frost arc towards his shoulder. He blasted it away, and activated the fire alarms. Hook, line, and sinker. As water rained down on them, she froze the droplets into a block. Keeping it up with a steady draft. Plasmos couldn't make any fire while wet, so he was occupied with drying himself out. She let the ice block fall on him. Instantly out. The fight lasted ten seconds.    Serenity turned back to the cabinets, picking through for the file. Grabbing the right one, she put the papers into her bag. Stepping towards the window, twirling her fingers to create a tornado of cold air. She jumped out, using the air to cushion herself. Leaving ice marks in her wake, she disappeared into the night.

   Serenity sprinted down the alley, her ski goggles making it very hard to see in the darkness. If they weren’t there to hide her identity, she’d of thrown them out in this dim lighting. Terrible for fighting at night.     Can’t go to the apartment, or someone, probably August, might see, and find out. Still in costume. She made a sharp turn into an alley to her left, and ended up in an adjacent street. Creating a small whirlwind, she drifted up to the nearest rooftop.     Using small drafts to aid her jumps, she soon made her way to the abandoned warehouse she called a lair.    Landing softly on the windowsill, she dropped into the storeroom. She shook the frost from her hair to show her normal brown, and released her control on the elements. Removing her ski goggles, she stepped over to the closet with her civilian clothes in it. She put her disguise ring on a thin chain necklace.   Once she changed, she started to flip through the file. Mostly containing research on magic, there was little on super powers; only the basic powers held by some of the weakest supers. No use.    Sighing in frustration, Serenity leaned back in the chair and checked the time. 10:00 p.m. If she didn’t get back to the apartment soon, August might start to worry. On the other hand, she could text him and say she’s spending the night at the bay. There’s a sailboat that her parents own docked there.     Clicking send, she resolved to sleep on the couch in the main room of the warehouse. “Ding” she checked her phone and saw August’s affirmation. Grabbing a blanket off one of the boxes, she flopped onto the couch, and promptly fell asleep. 

 A ray of sunshine was glaring starkly onto the closed eyes of the sleeping villain. She groaned and turned over, knowing she wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep, but stubbornly refusing to get up. That is until her alarm went off.     Grudgingly, Serenity sat up and stretched, wishing she’d had the foresight to put a coffee machine in the warehouse. If only.     Trudging over to the door, she grabbed her helmet and jacket, not caring that she was wearing the same clothes as yesterday. She crept outside wearily, and took the keys to her motorcycle out of her jacket pocket.     Stopping only to buy a bagel and a coffee, she made her way down the familiar streets to the apartment building. A light gray building, dark rooftops and white trim, the place blended with the rest of the city. The inconspicuous building had a small fenced-in parking lot for residents.    Pulling up to the entrance, she swiped her card in the slot and the gate opened. Maneuvering through the parking lot, Serenity found a spot close to the building. Humming some meaningless tune, she started on the path to the stairwell. Taking a deep breath of the warm late morning air, she swiped her key through the slot. The lock disengaged with a click.     Mounting the stair, she began the trek to the fourth floor. Part of her decision to start using her powers was to exercise wherever possible. Staying true to this, Serenity did her best to avoid elevators.    Once she was in the apartment, she made a quick check that August wasn’t there. Summoning a small whirlwind, she cleaned the accumulated dust and crumbs in the kitchen. Using a slightly more powerful twister, she cleaned the dust from the carpets. She deposited it in the trash and marked vacuuming and sweeping off the chore list.    ‘Ring ring’    Gasping, Serenity almost dropped her phone. Caller ID showed no number, just a silhouette of a hooded figure in the picture. Sagacoid, a powerful telepath, and a member of the villains council. She clicked answer, knowing that he could discern her every thought through the line.     “Hello Serenity,” a smooth hypnotic voice came through the tiny speakers. “No need to say anything, I can already hear you.” The implication that he could sense every thought and emotion she had during the conversation was chilling.    “You have a special connection with one specific hero that the council wants captured. You have been assigned to lead the mission in trapping the hero known as plasmos and bringing him to me.     “I see a small waver in your resolve, but I trust that you will come though. I will send someone to help since you would be equally matched on your own. Techweaver seems an appropriate minion for this operation. That will be all.”    After the beep, Serenity leaned back against the wall. Sliding to the floor, she contemplated what she had to do. Sure she didn’t like plasmos that much, but that didn’t mean she wanted to hand him over to the villains council. She’d heard of how heroes would quit after even battling a council member. These people have killed heroes before. Plasmos may be annoying, but he’s still a good person.     But if she didn’t do this, they might hurt her parents. They’ve threatened them to get to her in the past, they’ll do it again.

#hero villain whump #hero villian #superhero whump #whump community #whump writing #whump fic #whump blog

[brightmaiden]

Fairy tale asks: 6, 8, 12, 15, 17, 20

6. What stayed with you most from the fairy tales you enjoyed as a child? Can be a quote, a detail, a character, a moral, or a whole story arc.

I read a lot more mythology than fairy tales when I was young, and what I remember most vividly is the story of Siegfried from the Nibelungenlied bathing in the dragon's blood. Everywhere the blood touched, he became invulnerable, but as he was bathing, a leaf from a linden tree fell on his back, preventing one spot between his shoulder blades from being protected. Later, a spear pierced him there, killing him. I had so many questions about that: why would you do that? did all dragons have magic, skin-protecting blood? why didn't Siegfried notice that he'd missed a spot? As I grew older, it stayed with me for other reasons. The death of the dragon, using its death to protect yourself, the natural world and fate acting to keep you mortal—it seems fair, somehow, that invulnerability bought with another being's death would turn out to be no real invulnerability at all, and that any efforts to cheat the natural order of death would fail.

8. What poem would a kindhearted mortal have to recite to entice you into revealing yourself to them?

Any poem that struck me as true would probably accomplish the task, but I would feel particularly moved if I heard someone reciting any of Donika Kelly's "Love Poem" variations from her Bestiary collection. They strike me as love poems directed at the self rather than another, and they represent such bravery and determination and compassion in the face of all the ways we can be brutal to ourselves that I would reveal myself to a mortal in hopes of reinforcing that message. ...Though I wouldn't say no to discussing how beautifully Kelly writes.

12. Would you rather live in the cool-glittering depths of the sea, the fragrant-green meadows, or the pine-dark, blackberry-scented woods? Why?

I would prefer the desert, to be honest. It's my favorite landscape, but it's also naturally illusive, hiding places where the land dips into canyons, spreading out so vast that distances lose meaning. It challenges you to learn its ways and rewards you with colors and animals and weather that others rarely experience. (Second choice, though, would be those meadows.)

15. Which painting best describes what your personal fairy tale would look, feel, taste like?

I couldn't find quite what I was looking for, but this comes close. I imagine a woman walking down a dark stair into yet more darkness, an opening to the outside world radiating light far behind her while she stands in a circle of her own lantern light. I think my personal fairy tale would involve a journey for some important purpose that requires venturing into places that seem frightening. There's a sense of trepidation, but also determination and discovery: a cool breeze smelling of rain wafting from the depths, light catching on glints of crystal, the faint sound of birds a reminder of what awaits when this journey is complete.

17. Which magical item would you want to own - A magic mirror, a heart-shaped book, or a golden key?

A key! Where might such a key take you? What might it open? A key seems like the start to an adventure.

20. You leave the safety of your family’s home and go brave the dangers and adventures of the world. What do you seek - Love, Self-Fulfillment, or Glory?

Love, I think. I'm not much for glory, and self-fulfillment doesn't require much travel, just opportunities to learn and help others. But love—the romantic kind—I'm not finding that at home. At least, I haven't so far. ;)

#isfjmel phleg #queried #cyneburh

[targaryenimagines]

Living Darkness

Daenerys Targaryen x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 2,117

Summary:

Warnings: Angst

A/N: I hope this is what you wanted.

"Khaleesi."

A soft voice whispers but she doesn't bother to turn around. She only squeezes her eyes shut at the intruding noise. Trying to block out everything that was around her.

Trying to block out the memories.

Every time she opens her eyes she was met with a constant replay of events that she could never change. Taunting her for her failures.

Every time she hears whispered words as she passes she hears the sound of Viserion's cry. The sound of your scream when he wouldn't pull up. The sound of her own when she saw what was happening.

Every time she blinks she sees your broken body falling from the sky. A crimson trail following in your path. She could see Viserion diving towards you. His cream colored scales stained red.

Every time she closes her eyes to sleep she's met with broken ice. Ice that quickly turned from blue to red.

"Daenerys."

Her mind keeps replaying everything over and over again. Telling her what she already knew. What she's known since you disappeared underneath the ice.

She had failed.

She had failed you.

She had failed Viserion.

She had failed everyone.

"Dany."

Everything she has worked for meant nothing now that you were gone. You were her light, shining brilliantly like a flame. Your constant warmth and love exuding from you igniting her with a passion of a thousands suns. One of the reasons Viserion had chosen you as his rider. Your shared gentleness a clear indicator in the potential bond.

Despair starts to fill her heart at a rapid pace. Paralysing her within it's dark embrace. Trapping her in a constant repeat of events that she would do anything to change.

Causing her to remember everything with perfect detail.

All the events that transpired before. Everything that could have been changed to stop her light from being taken.

-----

The plan was set, everything was going into motion. With each step she was closer and closer to claiming her birthright. Nothing was going to stop her now. The sound of soft laughter interrupts her thoughts but it brings a warm feeling to her heart.

Daenerys turns her violet gaze towards yours. Your beautiful eyes sparkling underneath the sun. Your hair getting tousled by the wind. She couldn't help the smile that spreads across her lips at the sight of you. Watching as you play with Viserion, whose eyes were sparkling with delight. Both of your movements in sync with one another. A true testament to how close you two have gotten over time. A sight that brings the same warm feeling back to her heart.

Her earlier thoughts returning to her but with a new addition. That when she took back the throne she would finally make you her wife. She would finally show the world that you were hers and she was yours.

With the plan underway she was that much closer to her goal.

For a better life not only for the people of Westeros, but the both of you.

Her forever with you coming closer and closer as each moment passed.

A thought that brings a lightness to her heart and soul, and a smile to her face.

-----

If only I had stopped it. I should have listened to her when she was trying to talk me out of it. I should have known that she was right, Daenerys thinks, her mind crying out everything that she should have done. I should have protected her and Viserion. If only I'd known.

Tears were escaping her eyes at a faster rate. Her sorrow consuming her and darkening her world. It was her fault her love and son were gone. If she had been faster, if she had been paying more attention to her surroundings she could have prevented it. If she would have been better than you would still be with her. Bringing joy and laughter wherever you went.

Instead her world was nothing but despair and agony. Her body trapped in self-inflicted numbness to everything but her pain.

Her pain was the only thing that kept her close to you.

Her pain was the only thing that kept you alive.

Her pain was what she deserved for failing you.

She should have listened to you, the pain was only her punishment for not doing so.

-----

"Dany, please, we both know that this plan is suicidal, at best. We shouldn't be wasting our time in trying to impress Cersei Lannister. Every moment we waste gives her more and more time to grow her defenses. We shouldn't be wasting our time heading beyond the Wall when our most immediate threat is here," you plead, your eyes staring at her with urgency. Your words ringing loudly across the silence of the room.

"The plan has already been set into motion. It was decided that this course of action would be for the best," Daenerys responds, her words calm and precise. Trying to show you the necessity of this course of action.

However, you simply shake your head. Disapproval shining within your eyes, and laced in your voice. "This is not the best course of action. We both know that Dany and even if it is the best course of action it, certainly, isn't so for us. You're not only risking one of your most trusted advisors but the possibility of the North blaming you for their king's death if this were to go wrong," you stress, you hands starting to fidget by your side. A nervous tick that you have always had, she thinks fondly. "It would be much safer and more efficient if we take King's Landing now and issue a royal decree to help the North. Why should you get Cersei's approval when you can do what she can when you're queen?"

Daenerys closes her eyes at your words. Knowing that you were right but everything has already been decided. There was nothing more that she could do. This was the course that was set and agreed upon. There was no changing it now.

"My love, I know you disapprove of this decision but please believe in it. Believe in me, everything is going to be fine and Cersei Lannister will learn the truth. A truth that all of Westeros needs to know. I promise you nothing will happen," Daenerys says, bringing her hands to clasp yours. Her hope for you to understand growing with each moment as you look at her.

"You have done amazing things, Dany. Things I could never in a million years do but, not even you, could predict the future and I don't want to see that future when you're proven wrong with this. Only death awaits when you head beyond the Wall. I just hope you don't come to regret your decision."

With those parting words you slip out of her hold and into the hall. Your words ringing loudly in the silence of the air even as you presence was long gone. Echoing like a phantom within her ears.

I just hope you don't come to regret your decision.

-----

She does.

With each ragged intake of breath that takes more and more energy to accomplish.

God she does, with every moment that you're not by her side. It was like the world around her was swallowing her whole. Consuming her in darkness and despair. Her mind and heart at a constant war with each other. Her entire being screaming out in agony for not having you there.

She couldn't breathe knowing that you were no longer doing the same. Like the air was toxic and was clogging up her lungs. Only causing her sobs to become more and more erratic with each breath she takes. Her body folding in on itself because she couldn't find the strength to keep standing. To appear strong and collected when her whole being was shattered beyond repair.

Her mind was only a vessel for her pain.

Her body was a prisoner to her despair.

Her heart was a hollow shell of what it used to be.

Everything was different without you by her side. Without Viserion's playful cries in the morning towards Drogon and Rhaegal. Now there were only sounds of mourning. Their cries raising towards the heaven and echoing across the land.

They too understood what was lost because they weren't good enough.

They too remember when everything fell apart.

-----

The snarls of the dead fill the air. Drowning out the whistling of the wind.

Daenerys lifts her gaze towards the sky and watches Viserion and Rhaegal. She could tell that they were starting to get tired. Something that sends a bolt of terror through her chest. They needed to get out as soon as they could. Drogon rumbles underneath her, clearly, agreeing with the sentiment.

Daenerys brings her gaze towards the mass of Wights. Their eyes sending a shiver down her spine. She had never seen such soulless eyes before. Not a hint of emotion within their depths. She knows that they have to get out of here soon. Their time here was out and they're running on borrowed time.

Bringing her gaze towards Jon's she sees the desperation within his gaze. Clearly he hadn't expected this sudden attack. None of them had expect you. Daenerys feels her heart skip a beat at the thought of you. Fighting with their children while she was stationary on the ground. A fact that she was not happy with but there was nothing she could do.

Daenerys reaches out her hand towards Jon when she sees he's coming close. The sooner he was on Drogon the sooner they could leave. The sooner they could leave the less likely any casualties will happen. As Jon grows nearer she could feel a lightness starting to take over her body. Her heart slowing down from its erratic beat.

Only to completely stop when Viserion's cry echos through the air. Filling her with a complete sense of dread as she turns to him. Her eyes only widening at what she sees.

You.

Falling towards the ground in a deadly arc. The crimson of your blood staining the air around you.

Daenerys didn't even realize that she had let out a scream of her own. The sound sounding like she was having her heart ripped from her body. It was a sound that all that were present would remember. It was the sound of complete and total agony.

Agony that was encompassing her as each second passed. Her only reprieve being when Viserion dove after you. Hoping beyond anything that he would be able to catch you. He was always the fastest of the three, and he would be able to catch you.

He had to.

Her hope starts to dwindle, however, when you grow closer and closer to the ground. With Viserion showing no signs of pulling up.

Your scream was a testament to what was happening. "Bē, Visērion, jikagon bē."

You knew what was going to happen. What Daenerys was willing not to. You knew and so did Viserion.

He wasn't fast enough.

He wouldn't be able to catch you.

You would hit the ground and there was nothing anyone could do.

A thought that brings another, sharper, cry from her lips. Despair filling her being within its embrace.

Her pain only grows that much more when Viserion tucks his wings tighter into his body. Knowing that she wasn't only going to lose you today she was going to lose both. She was going to lose the love of her life and her son.

She could see Rhaegal diving towards them but Daenerys knew he was too far away. Causing tears to start to slip from her eyes. Her pain growing more and more as you grow closer and closer to the ground.

She watches as you grab Viserion's neck and hold on. Clinging to him for the last time and Daenerys feels her heart break even more.

More so than the ice when you finally hit it.

The explosion of water shatters the silence of the landscape. The howls of the dead and the wind comes back, but Daenerys can't bring herself to move.

Her body and mind completely numb to everything. She was stuck staring at the hole you had dissapeared into.

Even as Drogon took off into the air she couldn't bring herself to look away.

Knowing that her light had been taken away.

Plunging her world into darkness.

The North may be facing their Long Night when the Night King comes.

Hers had already come, she would live in darkness until she saw you again.

Until she would be able to see her sun again.

#daenerys #daenerys targaryen #daenerys targaryen imagine #daenerys targaryen x reader #daenerys x reader #game of thrones imagine #got imagine #living darkness

[ty-talks-comics]

Best of DC: Week of July 10th, 2019

Best of this Week: Batman and the Outsiders #3 - Bryan Hill, Dexter Soy, Veronica Gandini and Clayton Cowles

Batman’s Outsiders has a lot to learn before they can properly function as a team.

After losing Sofia, the girl that they were charged with protecting, Baman gathers the team together and tells them that they are going to get her back, but first they need to be tested. On the other side of the coin, Sofia finds herself in the clutches of Ra’s al Ghul, who places the man who killed her father in front of her. Ra’s tells her to kill him, her own test to see if she’s worthy of being trained by him.

The book flips the focus between two central characters specifically, those being Sofia and Duke Thomas, aka The Signal. As mentioned in my last review of Batman and the Outsiders, this book was slated to come out around the same time or after an arc in Detective Comics where Batman’s sidekicks were being targeted by a murderous villain by the name of Karma. His primary targets were the Cassandra Cain and Duke Thomas, the latter of whom is still suffering from PTSD after failing to save a kid with a bomb strapped to him by Karma and being injured in the explosion.

Ishmael, the man who killed Sofia’s father, kneels before her and goads her into attacking him, telling her that he heard her father’s last thoughts before he died. He says that her father wishes that she were killed instead of him and Sofia succumbs to her anger, striking Ishmael. After a smokescreen clears, Duke is met by someone wearing Karma’s gear and attacks the figure in a rage. “Karma” tries to convince Duke that he doesn’t deserve the metahuman power that he has, the ability to see what others cannot (see Dark Knights: Metal), and that Batman must be disappointed.

After thoroughly thrashing Ishmael, Ra’s gives Sofia a sword, telling her to end Ishmael and become another of his weapons. She holds the sword in her hands and thinks long and hard about her decision. Ultimately, she decides that vengeance is the only option and chooses to plunge the blade into Ishmael. Ra’s reveals the test for what it is, allowing Ishmael to defend himself and telling Sofia that if she joins him, nothing will hurt her again.

Cornered and afraid, Karma approaches Duke and asks him where is his team now, making him think that The Signal is all alone. Suddenly, Cassandra kicks Karma in the face, Katana slashes him in the face of the mask and Black Lightning picks the kid up from the ground. Bruce reveals that he was the one under Karma’s mask and tells Duke that he is very proud of him.

This issue was made great by the duality of the situations presented. Batman normally takes in broken kids and builds them back up to be strong, compassionate and in tune with their emotions. Ra’s al Ghul takes young men and women and turns them into unrepentant killing machines under his will. Duke could just as easily have been in the same position that Sofia is in now and vice versa. Sofia, however, will be a harder case to bring back to the light now that she knows that she has given in to her darker side. Sofia has a chance to become like Damian if she’s lucky, but who’s to say?

Duke has already been to the dark depths since his late childhood, watching his parents get forever Jokerized, dealing with an army of wannabe Joker kids as a teen and fighting against the Dark Multiverse as Batman’s new ward. Duke has been through a lot, but he’s also been able to overcome every threat in his way. Karma took that security away from him when he made Duke watch his own failure and this left the young man angry and broken, unwilling to take orders from anyone lest he make the same mistakes again.

Batman and the Outsiders succeeds at placing it’s focus on characters other than Batman, leaving him as more of a support player while the stories hone in on individuals or team dynamics than Batman’s leadership. Duke Thomas has been out of the picture for a while and having the gates flood open on his headspace in particular made me very happy. I also kind of like Sofia. While not exactly super fleshed out yet, she shows a lot of promise especially making the decision to have this new character go down a dark path in the beginning. She has good motivations and I actually hope that by the end of this arc, she earns a place on the team properly.

High recommend.

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

Tom King’s Batman can be hit or miss sometimes, but this one is definitely a hit.

Runner Up: Batman #74 - Tom King, Mikel Janin, Jordie Bellaire and Clayton Cowles

For the entirety of his superhero career, Batman has been driven by one singular goal: to make sure what happened to him as a child didn't happen to anyone else. He's vowed to protect the streets of Gotham and to honor the memory of his parents and the city they loved.

This vow has become increasingly harder to honor over the course of this run; from being unable to save a possible replacement in the Superman-like Gotham, to being told to stop being Batman by his father from an alternate universe, and ultimately being left at the altar by the love of his life. One man is responsible for it all, Bane.

Part of the (admittedly) convoluted scheme to break the Batman was to somehow bring the Flashpoint Batman from his Universe to finally convince his son to stop. Thomas rationalizes that all Bruce needs is the love of his parents and his sickness, his broken need to be Batman will go away. As revealed in the last issue, Thomas' goal is to resurrect Martha Wayne in Ra's al Ghul's most powerful Lazarus Pit and reunite the Wayne family. 

Mikel Janín's art remains amazing as always. I could gush for days about how he's able to make Thomas and Bruce solemnly expressive through body language and only using the lower halves of their faces, but Jordie Bellaire, is the real star of this issue. She manages to color this story in a way that makes it seem like it takes place in three acts.

The first act takes place in the beautiful drawn and barren desert after Bruce and Thomas reconnect while fighting Ra's ninjas. Everything is bright and the yellows, contrasted to the Blacks of the Bats give things a slightly warm feel. Thomas is happy for his son to join him and give up his crusade.

The second act shows Bruce and Thomas reaching the edge of the pit and is coated in the cool blue hues of night. The scene feels somber and intimate as Thomas tells Bruce how stubborn he was as a child, crying because he wanted to hear his favorite story over and over until he fell asleep. Thomas says that Bruce absolutely got that from his mother, who would constantly insist that Thomas read him that story, how she always had faith that Bruce would sleep. The two begin to climb down into the pit.

Throughout the issue the Russian Folk Tale, “Animals in the Pit” had been told and spoken about in the usual Tom King style. The tale involves a group of animals that get trapped in a pit and perform contests where the loser gets eaten. In the end, one of the two remaining animals tricks the other into ripping himself open and feasts on his flesh.

In the final act, in the dark of the pit, the book takes on a harsh red hue. Thomas is finally there, at the end of his journey to give his son the happiness and family he deserves. Saying that he couldn't deny Bruce his childish wishes as a kid, but now he will deny him remaining Batman. 

Bruce tells him that the reason he wanted to hear the story constantly was because, despite the horror, his father told him the story with a bit of levity. Bruce gained hope that one of the animals just might escape and even if he knew it was impossible, he never gave up hope. He then betrays his father with a right cross to the face.

Janín can draw a beautiful, flashy fight scene when he wants to, but this fight is anything but. It's raw and brutal, it's close quarters and every emotion is felt, accentuated by the excellent coloring. Bruce punches his father, Thomas punches his son right back. Even when the fight pivots away from them to focus on the coffin, the tension is still there. Their ideological struggle is felt through the shadows on the wall and when Thomas is thrown into the coffin, things spiral downward for him.

Right on the heels of the hopefully amazing “City of Bane” storyline, this two issue filler arc strengthens Batman’s resolve for what will be the final confrontation with one of his greatest enemies and all of his pawns in Tom King’s Batman run. While the issue does suffer from the usual King-isms (long winded diatribes taking up entire pages, lack of explanation for possibly crucial plot points, like how Thomas came to this world, and the general pretentiousness in dialogue structure) they don’t pull the issue down in a distracting way. While mildly annoying, they fit this story very well and continue to expand on Bruce’s reverence for his mother, introduced in the “I Am Suicide” arc and furthers him being resolute in his mission.

Bane’s going to have hell to pay when the Batman comes for him. High recommend.

#comics #dc #dc comics #batman #the outsiders #black lightning #the signal #duke thomas #katana #cassandra cain #dexter soy #bryan hill #thomas wayne #bane #tom king #mikel janin

[dreamcorechild]

[The corruption arc...]

Prologue: No where home.

When we all think to ourselves... To find our own adventures out there in the open world... To find something new and to experience it for the first time... But as we all speak... Something bad would always happen at that time... A shadow needs its host to begin what he plan for years... He just need to find someone who was dumb and scared enough to accept his offer...

Gilbert Grey was a little stick figure who lived in a cottage along with his parents. He was a timid one, scared of the dark and spider's that crawls from the holes in his ceilings... Even he had a timid personality... His other would come out as warm and sweet... The love and support from his parents kept him protected during all this time... The sun was blazing hot as summer has already just began.

Grey was outside, playing a game with his parents... The father kicks the ball as the little stick figure struggled to chase after it. He gave quite a small kick back, which he wasn't pleased of.. His father pat his head, reassuring him that one kick can make you feel strong and proud. Mother was watching the two while reading her magazine, the ball went high into the sky.. Almost disappearing inside the dark forest...

The forest was endless.. Once you were in... No chances of getting out... Grey hurried towards the ball, seeing that it has rolled straight inside the darkness..

"Hey ball, wait come back!!" He cried.

The deeper he got. The entrance of the forest close behind him.. Not long he found the ball tucked away in a Bush of thorns... The little stick figure sighed in relief, entering the forest was easy.. But finding a way out is much harder...

Little grey didn't know which path he took.. The left or right... As if so.. Even if he took one of them he'll always end up back in the same spot... He was lost.. And fear settled in.. He desperately called out to his mama and papa..

But to no avail.. The forest was huge and his echoes didn't reach far enough. Darkness and trees covered the sky. Grey didn't do anything, but cry and cry.. Waiting for his parents to find him.. The howls of wolves was close by.. If they see him, he would likely be their dinner.. Light shines from one part of the forest..

Grey thought it was his way out, he grabbed his ball and tumbled his way over to the brightness.. The taste of freedom and the adrenaline was digging in.. Once he was out... He was met by an open area of the forest...

No sign of his home.. Just trees and trees... Grey wouldn't know how far he is inside this labyrinth.. But an open part of the forest would be a quicker way for his parents to find him.

So he thought... The blossom tree was the only thing that sits in the middle... Every day, cherries and petals would fall down from the branches.. Grey was getting tired and hungry... Coldness came when it was soon night...

The child snuggled himself warm with his sweater.. Keeping himself alive was hard.. But he must try... And wait for any help to arrive. That's what his parents told him... When he was lost.. He should always stay in the same spot...

Even if it took 5 years for something to happen..

Grey mind was deteriorating. He no longer knows what day it is.. Or what the year is now.. The only thing that kept him fed. Was the petals and cherries that fell from the tree.. He kept his hopes high.. Waiting for a voice.. Waiting for any sign of other life to find him... But... For once... He was slowly giving up on hope... And when people gives up on hope...

Despair comes after... Somehow in a twist.. Grey finally heard a voice.. He couldn't see it at first.. But that's when his shadow begin to grey twice his own size... The eyes stared at him from the ground.. All grey could do, is wave and say hi.

"Your in a bit of a pickle ain't ya little one... Poor you to stay in the same spot for years and counting... Having trouble finding home is difficult for a child like you..."

"Yeah... I don't know if mummy and daddy is finding me... I miss them so much... I just wanna go home!! I don't like the forest anymore... I haven't seen anyone for so long... I hate it! I hate it!!"

Grey broke down in tears. The tears he's been holding on for years.. The shadow made a small chuckle.. Finally.. He found someone.

"Now don't you cry little one... Everything will be alright.. I'll help you find your way back.. But in under one condition..."

"W... What condition..?"

The shadow adjust his Cape..

"You see... Those people imprisoned me under ground... I've been trying to find some help. When I begin to ask the residents here... Cold hearted they are... To decline my offer... But you here.. You could be special... You could be a hero once you let me out..."

"But.. W.. Would I still get my wish.."

"Of course... I would never... Ever lie to a littler suffering like you... Your parents must be so worried about you.. To wonder all alone in the endless forest... I'm sure their hearts would warm once they see you alive and well..."

Grey gulped. Looking down at his shadow. He wouldn't think straight.. All was going on way to quickly.

"Come on then little one... I'm getting a bit impatient down there..."

"O.. Oh... Right.. But how am I gonna get you out... I can't pick up a shadow..."

"You will.. You just haven't done it yet..."

Grey slowly raised out his arm. Moving it towards the hand on the ground. The shadow did the same.. Gently.. Gently... And a quick grasp from a black hand sprouted from the ground. Tugging his arm so tightly and strongly.

Grey yelped, trying to pull his arm back but that would make the situation much worse.. The black corruption begin to spread around him like a disease. The child was toast and the shadow had no choice but to pull himself out... He used him as a rope.. And finally... Black 6c was free once again.. He stared at the night sky and took a deep breath... Freedom.. He looked down at grey who was holding onto his arm, wailing in pain.

"Thank you... So much little one... Sorry about that.. Its what my powers do... I'm sure it didn't give you.. Any side affect... Now forget all that... I'm sure you want your wish now... Heh..."

The shadow burst into laughter, the child curled up I to a ball. Terrified and paralysed to move an inch.

"HOW DUMB ARE YOU, LITTLE ONE.. WISHES DOESN'T EXIST... EVEN IF I'M SOME SORT OF A FAIRY WITH WINGS OR A WIZARD... I STILL WONT MAKE ONE FOR A LITTLE WEAKLING LIKE YOU.... HEHHEHEHEHEH... SUCH A SHAME ISN'T IT.. I'M SURE YOUR PARENTS HAVE FORGOTTEN YOU FOR THOSE 5 YEARS..."

The words struck little grey like a heart thermometer. He shiver and splutter..

"You... You lied to me... You.. You promised!!"

"AND YOU WERE DUMB ENOUGH TO BELIEVE THAT... OH THIS DAY IS GETTING EVEN BETTER!!! NOW THAT I'M OUT... I NEED A CERTAIN HOST TO SUPPORT MY BODY..."

Black 6c unveils his Cape.. Revealing his body to be in a corrupted state..

"You see... During my imprisonment.. They removed something that help me walk... But now your body is just perfect enough to support mine... We could be one.. A one body of pure darkness... How would you like that... To be apart of me..."

Grey immediately shook his head.. He begins to run of but a chain came from the ground and wrapped around him. Black 6c could only laugh.

"I knew you were gonna do something like that... That's just gonna make this situation even worse for you... Now then... Become part of the dark.. And watch as everything... Unfolds..."

The tall black stick figure looms over him. Hands sprouted from him which grabs the child. Pulling him into the darkness.. Consuming his body to the weakest... All the child could see.. Is the dark.. And when darkness comes.. Torture would soon follows after...

Little grey was hopeless... He could only accept it... To let the thorns wrap around his arms... And to let the roses grow..

Meanwhile Black 6c looked over from the sky... The land he used to take control of.. Was no longer his... But theirs... He got a few more hours before his revolution could begin... He would need to make his own army... And what better of to make his army is by using the souls of those who perished...

The targets.... Stick figures...

While grey could only watch the horrors unfold right Infront of him... Black 6c would begin his Massacre...

#corruption arc