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gay-dorito-dust · 2 months

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First ofi love your Jason fic's, they are really great and they made me think could you write for Damian as well?

What about Damian x reader (gn or male pls) where they are really great friends but the family thinks they are in a relationship? You know the typical teasing girls usually experience as soon as she talks about a boy "oh is that you boyfriend" the same thing happens too Damian, and now he dreads bringing the reader to his house because his family always had something to say (except Alfred he's cool like that) and it also makes the reader uncomfortable. And one day Damian snaps at them for their weird behavior, telling them that they are the reason why the reader won't visit anymore

I hope this makes sense, if you don't like this, just ignore it.

Have a great day

Damian hated when he brought you over to the Manor and it’s not for the reasons many might expect. It was more so to do with how Dick, Tim and Jason seemed to always have something to say whenever you two were in a room together, only ever doing mundane activities but to Dick, Tim and Jason, it was viewed under an annoyingly unnecessary romantic context.

They firmly believed that in due to you being able to withstand Damian’s presence for as long as you have, that there must be romantic undertones integrated in every interaction between the two of you. The classic trope of friends being in love with each other but not knowing how to cross that line without ruining everything that was pre established from your longstanding friendship; Which was factually incorrect for so many reasons.

You and Damian weren’t anything more than friends and you both were content with that conclusion. However that didn’t stop you from feeling uncomfortable whenever Dick, Tim or Jason said anything about your suspected secret relationship that you’ve been poorly keeping from them. Damian hated that you couldn’t come to the manor without wanting to leave within the first five minutes of being there, he didn’t want to either but knew that you needed him for support whenever it does happen; and it was unfortunately an reoccurring theme within the Wayne manor.

The first time this happened you and Damian were in the library, reading. Your head was innocently resting against his shoulder and all because of the lack of sleep you had from binge watching the midnight release of the latest season for your favourite show. Had you been anyone else Damian would’ve laid you out flat but since it was you, Damian didn’t seem to mind but he then choice to chastise you for your lack to keep to a healthy sleep schedule.

‘You’re helpless.’ He stats and you pouted at him. ‘But Damian it was the last season! I had to binge watch it before people start spoiling it all over social media!’ You defended yourself but it was obvious that your friend wasn’t buying it for a second. ‘Tch. So was our test today but due to your habit of binge watching, and yet you just barely managed to somewhat passable score.’ He replied, not once looking up from his book as you leaned more into him. ‘Rude.’

‘I’m merely stating the-‘

‘Spare some room for Jesus there lovebirds.’ Both you and Damian looked over to see that Jason had entered the library when you were unawares and had a wolfish grin spread across his face. You tensed up at the implication, wordlessly removed your head from Damian’s shoulder and shuffled to the far side of the couch that you were both sitting on. All the while avoiding eye contact either him or Jason.

The latter (Jason) believed that this was done out of the fact that you had gotten caught but to the former (Damian) it was because you had grown uncomfortable with the comment made towards the nature of your assumed relationship to him. So all he could do without making the situation worse for you was to glare daggers into Jason, who only took this as Damian being mad that he interrupted his quality time with you.

The second time this mistake happened was when you and Damian were in the kitchen taking a much needed break from constant studying for the upcoming test at school, replenishing your hunger by wolfing down on some snacks. ‘You’ll choke if you keep that up.’ Damian said between bites of his own snack.

‘No I won’t.’ You rebutted, swallowing down the remains before shoving another bit of food into your mouth hastily and allowing for some crumbs to cling onto you in the strangest places, though mainly your cheek. Damian sighs and reaches across the table to rub the crumbs off with a handkerchief, muttering about how much of a messy eater you are. ‘Can’t even eat properly, never less sleep the required amount needed for proper functionality.’ He mutters under his breath.

‘Will you never left me live that down?’ You asked.

‘No.’ Damian replied without hesitation and you wondered if the question was even worth asking when he answered them in such a confident and sure fire way. Before you could get a chance to speak, Dick’s voice from the doorway butted in. ‘Do my eyes deceive me or is Damian being a gentleman for his lovely partner? Has hell truly frozen over?’ Damian was quick to retract his hand but it was too late, Dick saw everything and much like Jason, took it out of complete context.

‘We should get back to studying now.’ You said uncharacteristically stiff as you pushed yourself out of your chair and walked out of the room without so much of a word, shoulders hunched and head down when you passed by Dick, who watched in slight confusion as to what just happened. Damian on the other hand was starting to reach his limit with his brothers constant teasing, for how could they not see that it was clearly making you uncomfortable even if some of the teasing wasn’t aimed at you directly.

You took it personally on his behalf and he hates that in due to this it made your eagerness to spend time at to the Wayne manor dwindle. You were his first true friend and he didn’t want his brothers to be the reason you decided that you didn’t want to be his friend anymore. Damian wouldn’t admit it but deep down he was scared that he’ll loose you because of it, and that the only way to save your friendship would one day be reliant on your interactions during school hours. Damian knew he wasn’t the easiest to get along but he had to applause your persistence in wanting to befriend him, so much so that he didn’t want you ever thinking that he didn’t bother fighting for your friendship, because he would fight for your friendship with everything he had and then some.

For you’ve become a large part of him that he doesn’t think he could ever imagine living without now that you were so deeply integrated into his very being.

The third and last time you visited the manor was what made Damian snap. All you were doing was have a slow day with the added company of Titus, who was resting his head in your lap as you petted him; The poor dog missed you and it showed with how he whined whenever you dared to stop the pets, it would be made even more difficult not to as he would then paw at you persistently on top of all that.

‘I swear one of these days Titus will follow me home.’ You joked as you reminisced about the times when Titus would try and follow after you as pup and always disregarding Damian in favour for you and your cuddles. ‘He almost did once when you had to go home after our sleepover.’ Even Damian smiled softly at the memory of seeing Titus’ little head pop out of your bag after almost tearing apart the manor for the little mischief maker. He reached over to scratch the dog behind the ear -just how he liked to be scratched- and watched as Titus kicked his back leg in response.

‘He obviously still loves me a lot to be using my lap like this despite being too big to doing it anymore.’ You chuckled, looking down at the big dog with so much love and affection. Damian scoffed. ‘Don’t flatter yourself, Titus only likes you because you pamper and baby him.’ You gasped, covering Titus ears. ‘Don’t say that! Titus is still a baby in my heart!’ You exclaimed. The fully grown Great Dane then sneezed in his sleep and you acted as though he said something meaningful before looking back towards Damian ‘see, Titus agrees.’

‘Tch. You’re such a pain.’ Was Damian’s response as he looked away from you, only to see Tim stood a few feet away, watching you both much like how Dick and Jason did and Damian knew what was about to come out of his mouth before he even said it.

And apparently so did you as you managed to stand up, waking Titus up in the process, who was trying to get his bearings back as you said sombrely to Damian. ‘I’ll see you at school tomorrow, yeah.’ Before walking back towards the manor with Titus at your heels.

Before Tim could ask Damian shot him a murderous glare. ‘Batcave. Two days from now. Make yourself useful and bring Todd and Grayson with you.’ Was all he said before storming off towards the manor himself, leaving an taken aback Tim. His limit has officially been reached.

‘Why are we here Damian? Are you going to tell us that you need help with your partner-‘

‘Stop. Just stop with this nonsense you, Drake and Todd seemed to be hung up on because this false narrative you’ve created about myself and y/n is entirely make belief. And we’re suffering from it.’ Damian cuts Dick off but Jason was quick to speak next.

‘Why? Are you lovebirds not together anymore?’

Damian clenched his jaw but couldn’t contain his anger and annoyance towards this entire situation, wanting nothing more than for it to come to an end. ‘WE NEVER WERE TOGETHER TODD!’ Damian exploded. ‘WE WERE ONLY EVER JUST FRIENDS BUT DUE TO YOURS, GRAYSON AND DRAKES’ SHARED STUPIDITY, YOU’RE MAKING THEM UNCOMFORTABLE INTO EVER VISITING ANYMORE!’

‘Why didn’t either of you say anything-‘ Tim tried to talk but was quickly silenced by Damian who still had a lot more to get off of his chest. ‘WE TRIED BUT YOU WE ALL TOO BUSY TEASING US FOR BEING SOMETHING WE NEVER WERE!’ Damian liked to think he wasn’t the type to be quick to anger and how it was such a foolish thing to do. However Dick, Tim and Jason overstepped one too many times for Damian not to speak up about it, making sure it gets into their thick skulls that their weird behaviour almost cost him his friendship with you.

Jason, Dick and Tim felt stupid now and a little ashamed that their teasing could’ve quite possibly drove you away. It wasn’t their intention to do so, but they guessed that they admittedly got slightly ahead of themselves that they didn’t take into consideration of how you felt about all this. Now they felt like right dickheads.

‘I believe they’ve got the message master Damian.’ Alfred said as he looked at Dick, Tim and Jason who looked like a bunch of kicked puppies. ‘How about we invite master Damian’s friend for dinner so that you may tell them you’re sorry for your recent transgressions?’

Dick smiled softly at the butler whom had became another father figure to them. ‘That’s sounds perfect Alfred but only if y/n is comfortable to come.’ He, Jason, Tim and Alfred then all looked towards Damian who had calmed down significantly from his earlier outburst. ‘Tch. I’ll ask but I’m not guaranteeing anything.’ He says to them as he took out his phone to text you, adding a picture of an impatient Titus sitting at the front door waiting for you to come back for added effect, knowing how you couldn’t resist him.

It didn’t take long for you to reply with; ‘fine. I’m willing to bury the hatchet but as long as Titus gets to lay in my lap. That’s my only condition.’

Yep everything was going to be alright.

#damian wayne x reader #damian wayne imagine #damian wayne x y/n #damian wayne x you #Damian Wayne imagines #dc x y/n #dc x you #dc comics x reader #dc x reader #dc imagine #dc fic #dc fanfic #dc fanfiction

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farfromsugafanfic · 1 month

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Rebound | Chapter One: Cherry Picking

Genre: College AU, Basketball Captain!Yoongi, Basketball Captain!Reader, Idiots to Lovers, slight Rivals to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort

Pairing: Yoongi/Reader

Rating: M

Chapter Warnings: break up, implied cheating, cursing/sexual language

Synopsis: You and Yoongi always catch each other on the rebound. Notes: The first chapter! Enjoy x

Series Masterlist | Next

vVv

You hated the days where the girl's basketball team was forced to practice with the boys. It meant that you'd have to deal with the smell of boy sweat, being blatantly checked out, and many of the guys making fools of themselves as they tried to show off. Not to mention, you didn't like giving away your plays to the boy's team. Sure, you all played for the same university, but with an even amount of championship wins, this year, the competition was between the boys and the girls and who would be able to bring home another title that year.

And, you'd caught the boy's captain, Min Yoongi watching you as you ran through plays with your team. However, it wasn't the glances like you were used to from the rest of his team, the ones that lingered over your body and left you feeling like you needed a shower. No, Yoongi was watching each step of your foot, each time you faked a pass, or threw a basket. He was learning from you, and that was completely unacceptable.

You and Yoongi has been playing together since you were in high school. Now, as seniors in college, it was both of yours last chance to earn a championship for your respective teams. You both had previous championship wins, but the boys and girls never won a championship in the same year. And, this year, it was going to be yours.

"Yah, Min Yoongi! Why don't you come down here and show off your own strategy instead of stealing mine?!"

"I wasn't stealing," he said. "I was admiring." A smirk crossed his face quickly, fading so quickly you weren't sure it had even been there at all. "But, fine. Come on boys, let's play some defense."

Yoongi called over his team and instructed his starters to get into their respective defensive positions. His eyebrow arched as he got into position in front of you, his stance low and his arms out. Yoongi was known for his defense, in fact, it had turned many games. If your offense could beat Min Yoongi, it could beat anybody.

"Captain on Captain," he said, his momentary smirk returning. "Let's make this interesting. Whoever loses has to stay and clean up. Both locker rooms."

You shrugged, you often stayed for hours after practice anyway, but the thought of having to clean the boy's locker room made you want to throw up. However, you agreed—not willing to back down—and waited for the coach to blow the whistle, signaling for you to begin.

You began dribbling the ball and headed towards the basket. Yoongi was right there with you, his chest less than an inch from you. You stopped and passed the ball to a teammate before booking it over to the side of the basket where she passed it back to you.

It was a fairly simple play--the ball only being passed between you two--unless for some reason either of you was otherwise occupied. It depended on your teammates moving around to keep their defenders busy while the two of you used the free space to your advantage.

Yoongi attempted to catch the pass, his fingertips connecting with the ball, but you managed to catch it and throw it up at the basket before he could get a grip. The ball bounced off the basket and rebounded in your direction.

Yoongi managed to catch the rebound and started dribbling down the court. You defended him, but he was faster than he looked. You managed to get in his face just as he shot the ball up towards the basket, but it didn't faze him and the ball sunk into the basket.

You cursed under your breath. You turned--attempting to retrieve the ball--and your ass rubbed against Yoongi's thigh and you could practically hear the smirk break out across his face.

The game continued fairly uneventfully. The boys were two points ahead due to a lucky three point shot. It was the last half of the final quarter and you had to do something. You carefully signaled to your team to do a play that involved passing the ball excessively before one of your teammates finally passes it back to you and you go for the three point shot. You could think of nothing sweeter than winning by one point.

The play went smoothly with the ball coming back to you. Yoongi had only left your side for a moment in an attempt to catch the pass back to you, but as he quickly discovered what you were planning, he lunged towards you. Attempting to stop the ball from its ascent, he had too much momentum and smacked right into you. The ball's ascent becoming much sharper and landing far short of the basket.

You--on the other hand--had fallen straight backwards. Luckily, your butt broke your fall and you rolled onto your side and curled into a ball, out of breath from the shock. You heard the whistle blown--indicating that Yoongi fouled you--and it brought you back to reality.

Everyone seemed to be asking if you were okay, in a flurry of questions that only made you feel dizzy. You simply offered a quick nod and made your way to the free throw line. You easily made the two free shots, tying up the game.

The whistle sounded. "Games over," the coach said. "Looks like the teams are pretty evenly matched." He nodded at you and Yoongi. He dismissed practice and you turned to look at Yoongi.

"So, I guess the bet's off? Since we tied? We'll each just clean our own?"

Yoongi shrugged. "I don't mind doing both. I didn't mean to hurt you."

You laughed. "I'm fine, Yoongi. You've seen me take worse falls."

"I know, it's just--I caused this one--"

"Well, if you really want to clean the girl's locker room, it's fine. Just text me first or something so I can make sure everyone's out."

vVv

You didn't register Yoongi's text as you sat underneath your office desk. Your legs pulled into your chest as you tried to steady your breaths. He had to have known you were in your office by now. He'd been at practice and was probably changing when he sent the simple text.

"I'm breaking up with you, Y/N."

You knew your now--ex-boyfriend had probably left already--probably already had another date lined up. God, you hoped it wasn't with one of the other girls on your team. Partially because of the awkwardness, but also, because every girl on your team deserved better than a boy who would break up through text.

You heard a hesitant knock on the door. You huddled down closer underneath your desk, hoping that if you could keep your sobs quiet enough, whoever it was would just go away.

"Anyone still in here?" you heard Yoongi ask, as he peeked into the empty locker in room. Your office was connected to the locker room, but the blinds on your window were closed and your door was closed. You pulled your legs as close as they could possibly get to your body and pressed your head into your knees, hoping Yoongi would clean and leave thinking simply that you'd left already.

You heard as he shuffled around the locker room picking up half drank water bottles and making sure all the locks were secure. Your sobs were building up in your chest and you feared you couldn't hold them back. You inhaled sharply, but the exhale came out shaky. You whimpered, trying to hold the tears back.

The nearly completely concrete room carried sound better than some music rooms and it was only a moment later the shuffling paused.

"Y/N?"

You stayed quiet, even forgetting to breath for a few moments. You weren't sure how he immediately knew it was you. Maybe it was because you were always known to stay after practice and do your homework or work on strategy, often not leaving until it was dark. Or, maybe you two had simply played long enough together he could tell you from the others on the team.

You phone vibrated, somehow reverberating off the walls. It was simply reminding you of Yoongi's unread text and you muttered a silent curse as you heard the shuffling stop once again.

"Y/N?" he asked again, this time approaching the door to your office.

You closed your eyes and tried not to notice how the light was suddenly blinding you, even with your eyes shut.

"Y/N, what are you doing down there?" he asked. "Wait, what happened?"

You opened your eyes and looked up at the boy who was crouched down in front of your desk and examining you with his frustratingly puppy like eyes.

"It's nothing," you said, crawling out from underneath your desk and leaning against it and crossing your arms. Yoongi followed you, standing up, but not leaving the room.

"It's not nothing," he said. "I haven't seen you cry this much since you broke your wrist at championships Freshman year."

"At least I made the shot though," you said, smiling for half a second before it faded.

"I-I didn't hurt you earlier, did I?"

You shook your head. "No, really, Yoongi, I'm fine. It's stupid."

Yoongi stood in silence, waiting for you to explain. He wasn't going to leave without an explanation or a fight, and you were too exhausted to argue with the boy. Normally, when you were grumpy, he was the first person you picked a fight with, but you hated him seeing you in your weakened state. And, you knew he would see through your attempts at trying to argue for what they were--trying to annoy him into leaving.

"Isn't Ji-yoo waiting for you?" you asked, your attempt at stalling causing him to sigh and release the tension in his shoulders. You knew mentioning his girlfriend was a sure fire way to piss him off, but the girl was sweet and a decent player. You honestly didn't want her to have to wait on your problems.

"Y/N, just tell me what happened. We've known each long enough. I'm not gonna tell any of the boys about this."

Your eyes shifted away from him and your hands gripped the desk, your knuckles turning white. You held back another sob that has built up during the conversation, feeling more pathetic than ever.

"Chan-woo broke up with me," you said. "He texted me a little before you did." The sob came out and you hid your face in your hands.

You felt Yoongi's body envelope yours. You immediately fell into his warmth, your face hiding in his black T-shirt. You could still smell his body wash and a small hint of a musky cologne. He'd obviously showered just after practice and you couldn't be more thankful as you took in his scent and you felt yourself relax against him and the desk.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice soft and deep. It was the voice he used when he pitied you. His arm tightened around your back and you propped your chin on the center of his chest. He looked down at you, his free hand coming up to carefully brush some of your still damp hair from your face. "I know we're not really friends, but I don't like to see you upset. What happened to the Y/N from high school? You were the one breaking hearts then."

You scoffed and rolled your eyes playfully. "Like yours? Remember when you asked me to homecoming and I said no?" You dragged your fingertip over his chest and felt his gaze harden. Not maliciously, but enough to make you pause.

Your body tensed again under his gaze. His dark eyes looking at you in a way you couldn't describe. His gaze felt warm, but it was like sitting too close to a fire, the sparks began to burn.

"Yes," he said. "Yes, I do remember. I also remember driving you home after you got stood up that night."

You pulled away, losing his warmth was nearly painful, but you wiped your eyes, the tears having stopped spilling. The sobs were no longer in your throat, but you could still feel where they sat.

"Oh yeah," you said. "I, uh, forgot about that."

"I know you're upset, but you deserve better. You know that, right?"

"No, its okay. I know. He was a jerk, anyway, and I really should've seen this coming. I always saw the way he looked at the other girls on the team. I don't really know why I'm so upset about it. I know I shouldn't be cause he was probably cheating on me anyway, but--"

Yoongi's lips cut yours off. It caught you off guard, but your hands seemed to naturally gravitate towards his freshly washed and still half damp hair and your legs spread allowing him to come closer. His hands anchored to the desk on either side of your hips. The kiss was short, but heated, and when he pulled away you felt yourself yearning for him to come back.

"Stop talking about him," Yoongi said. "It'll make you feel worse."

"Yoongi, what was that?"

"You were rambling."

You couldn't help but let out a girlish giggle at his excuse. Yoongi's eyes seemed to soften when you laughed, but his posture was still tense, his hands still resting on either side of you, and his body still so much closer than you two got outside of the court.

"I never liked the way he talked about you in the locker room," he said, his head lowering slightly. His gaze falling from yours.

"Mmm, is that right? How'd he talk about me?"

Yoongi seemed surprised at your response, but his gaze shot back to yours. It had darkened though, from a look of concern to one of need.

"All the things he wanted to do to you," he said, his voice becoming raspy and breathless. You noticed his gaze slipping downward, although you had no idea where.

"Like what?"

Yoongi's right hand moved from the desk and onto your thigh, pushing up your basketball shorts slightly. His fingertips brushed the edge of your panties, but he didn't attempt to go any further.

"He wanted to fuck you on the court. Right at half court."

"Is that all?"

"Well, he was more specific, but I'll spare you the details."

Yoongi's face was dangerously close to your own, your foreheads nearly colliding.

"Don't guys talk about that stuff all the time?"

"Yeah, but it was different."

"Why?"

Yoongi knew you were baiting him, but as his fingers began to slowly massage the skin of your thigh, he seemed to care less.

"Cause it was about you."

"What makes me so different, Min Yoongi?"

He didn't answer the hair on his forehead tickling your skin.

"Is it cause you've known me so long I've become like a sister to you?"

"No," he said.

"Is it cause you have your own fantasies about me?"

Again, he didn't say anything, but he bit his lip and let out a shallow grunt that seemed to be in affirmation. "Just cause your glances are subtle, Yoongi, doesn't mean I don't notice."

His glance was less than subtle coming to rest at your lips and finally meeting your eyes full of something primal.

"What do you want to do to me, Yoongi?"

His lips brushed against the skin on your neck—testing the waters—and when your neck lulled back allowing him full access. He was eager and immediately his tongue came into contact with your skin and made you shiver.

"I want to fuck you on this desk," he said.

"Then, do it." One of your hands returned to his hair, while the other played with the hem of his T-shirt. "And, don't spare me any of the details."

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thatscarletflycatcher · 2 months

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Sense and Sensibility (2024, Hallmark) a review

I had expectations for this movie. They were not surpassed. It didn't perform below them either.

Spoilers under the cut.

So, this is a short movie (1.24hr long) a tv movie, a hallmark movie. You must keep that in mind as a frame of reference for what I'm about to say. You cannot really compare this with theatrical movies on equal footing.

Where to start. Costumes and sets. It is Bridgerton's world and we live in it. Everything is VERY colorful and shiny and not very real looking; that was to be expected. I think that sort of semi-fantasy aspect didn't hurt at all, and it was consistent. If you are not going to stick to the time period, at least go ham and show me something really interesting. I'm looking at you, Netflix Persuasion. There are some dresses that are pretty, and some others that... aren't. Considering that apparently the costume designer had to make something like 60 pieces in a month, it's kind of impressive that it came out as it did.

One funny bit, though, in this respect, is that they complain about how small the cottage is like some actual estate houses aren't the same size IRL XD Allenham we only get to see from afar, and it is rather disappointing.

Music: nothing to write home about, to be expected. Yes, we got one of those Vitamin String Quartet modern-song-played-by-strings. IDK. They were a bit dorky in their heyday, I don't know why they are so sought after in these pieces lately. I digress.

The acting. Deborah Ayorinde was a really good Elinor. She definitely deserved better writing and direction. The rest of the cast was good enough; I feel some roles really benefited from their characters being a bit hammy already in the source material (Lucy, Mrs Jennings, Anne, Fanny, Robert), others were really struggling because of being given very poor dialogue (Mrs Dashwood), and others were just... not good (Willoughby and Brandon, sadly). Edward was... a very special case. I can only describe it as the actor having two expressions: one, an attempt at reaching Hugh Grant's adorkableness AND Dan Stevens' ease at the same time, and two [SCREAMING INTERNALLY], but I guess those two were indeed enough to make it work just fine!

Which leads me to the writing. We all knew this adaptation was going to live or die in the writing, and most likely die.

The thing is that most of it is written around repeating 95' and 08's greatest hits, while attempting to compress the narrative into an hour and a half. And that goes as well as you can expect it to. Some scenes are painfully rushed -Brandon's backstory was extremely awkward to get through- some things are over before you have any time to assess their real weight -Marianne's illness, and many others end up being... incongruous.

Let me stop a little on those. The movie keeps Margaret, and gives her the whole play acting as a pirate with Edward from 95', but then removes the only real plot relevant thing she does in the book. So why keep the character at all? (Willoughby asks for Marianne's handkerchief in exchange for Queen Maab, instead of cutting a lock of her hair).

Because 2008 makes Brandon suspicious of Willoughby from the get go, this one makes it so that they know each other and implies that Brandon knows dirt on Willoughby, but then plays the rest of the story straight, which makes it... pretty inconsistent.

Speaking of Brandon, we have reached adaptation #5 that cuts out the fact that he tried to elope with Eliza sr. This time the backstory is that his father promised to let him marry Eliza if he proved himself as a soldier, but when he came back, he found his father has kicked her out of the house. Yeah, that was utter nonsense.

The adaptation makes a clumsy attempt at including the dinner at Mrs Ferrars... but Brandon isn't there to see Marianne defend Elinor.

We needed to have a "Brandon rescues Marianne in the rain" scene, but in this case, she's not faint or anything, he just grabs her because she's sad XD

And the list goes on and on and on. It was to be expected that the shadow of both 95 and 08 would be large over this one, but it truly is to the point that the references and contrivances are almost constant. Which is a pity because I think most of the original choices were interesting.

For example, Marianne twists her ankle running after Margaret, to try and stop her from asking something embarrassing, which is a good choice in terms of showing that Marianne is passionate, but she has more sense than Margaret.

On his deathbed, Mr Dashwood makes Elinor promise that she will take care of her mom and sisters and keep the family together. That added pressure on Elinor works really well in the context of the adaptation, and ads a new layer of interest.

John Dashwood is written mostly as a hapless but not malicious idiot. This is similar to what From Prada to Nada did (though there it made more sense because of the father having two families simultaneously), but I'm not sure where was that going. They did cut the Palmers, so I suppose the choice was so that they could go to Norland instead on their way to Barton (it is never established that Norland is so far away as it is in the book, so I guess one could give it a pass), but in that case, I feel the most cost effective shortcut is... have them go to Barton? Because we do get to see Barton (Marianne goes alone with Brandon to see it close to the end, and they get engaged before Edward returns, don't think much about it, manners and such are... for this movie... loose guidelines. But it isn't super offensive most of the time).

Anne Steele is decent fun as she's supposed to be, but Lucy really suffers the flattening. The mastermind has been flanderized into just a mean girl, and that's a pity.

Oh, Edward is sassy at times! And the sassy jokes land! I have to say it is not my preferred way of doing the character, but he does show some sass at the end of the novel, so, you know, I'll allow it I suppose XD

Edward's return and proposal started pretty good, but it overstayed its welcome. I cannot emphasize enough that, when writing this kind of proposal, you must avoid the word love if you can, and if you must use it, use it once, and with great reluctance.

The movie chooses to dedicate quite a time to the reveal of Edward and Lucy's relationship, and it's honestly... decent? For a scene made out of whole cloth it stands on its own feet reasonably well. But there's no Fanny freakout. This is probably the most shocking plot twist in the adaptation. This very on-the-nose Hallmark adaptation decided to cut the Fanny freakout of all things. Impressive restraint.

One thing, however, that was sadly cut out was Elinor and Marianne's conversation about Willoughby at Barton. It is instead replaced by an unsubtle comparison between Willoughby and Edward, and an exchange between Brandon and Marianne. It is one of the several points where the storytelling relies on previous knowledge of the work.

These are my main, disordered thoughts. I leave you with this choice from the ending, that I cannot form a thought about:

At Elinor and Edward's wedding, on the first pew are in attendance, from center to side: Mrs Dashwood, Margaret, Marianne, colonel Brandon... and Eliza Williams with her baby in her arms.

As a summary, I'd say Elinor and Edward's story was good enough, the relationship between the sisters was sweet, there were some odd choices, some interesting choices, and overall the writing was severely downgraded by attempting so much to stick to the choices of previous famous adaptations.

#Jane Austen #Sense and Sensibility #Sense and Sensibility Hallmark #Sense and Sensibility 2024

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bloodyshadow1 · 30 days

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since I've been forced back into the PJO, HoO, and ToA fandom against my will (due to my adhd forcing me not someone forcing me) I have some thoughts on HOO.

no one should have been in a relationship other than Percabeth in the Seven, at least not at first. Don't get me wrong, I thought Hazel and Frank were cute together, but there was no reason to make them a couple in the book they're introduced.

Personally, I never really liked Piper and Jason together, despite liking both characters as people. I felt like it was a weird start and a weird choice to keep them together. To make matters worse, they get together really offscreen which means we don't really know them as people. I think it would have been more interesting if they had feelings for each other but were unsure if it was real or just from Hera. And I think it would have made their stories better if they realized that the friendship they forged between them was just better than the romance that was forced upon them by Hera.

Them not being actually together in the end I think would fit better with Jason's flip flopping between Greek and Roman. It kind of feels like him choosing the Greek side, while it does have to due with his own character, a lot of it feels like him wanting to stay with Piper. Personally I never felt like their relationship was that strong to earn that.

Speaking of Jason, I feel like there was so much wasted potential with him. I think Rick should have let him keep the coin or had Hera give him a spear at the end of Lost Hero since it would be a good way to differentiate him from Percy. Or him having a weapon that could change forms that he's a master of both would separate him from Percy who has only felt comfortable using Riptide. In fact using both weapons could have been a way to reveal his issue with not being able to choose Greek or Roman as a metaphor if he's good at both but never a master of either because he spent so much time learning both instead of focusing

I wish Rick also toned down the worf effect moments with Jason, I know with 7-9 main characters and having to make sure every character gets a shot is important, but it feels like Jason got shafted a lot of the time. There's a reason a crack ship in the fandom is Jasonxbrick. Jason from the beginning was brought up as Percy's Roman foil, being just as much of a badass, but while he has his moments, he never feels like Percy's equal, just another powerful demi-god on the boat, despite also being a child of the big 3. With Percy, we had 5 books of him being a badass and failing as we watch him go from 12 to 16 and while he does get worfed and nerfed sometimes during HoO, he gets as many awesome moments. We're introduced to Jason when he should be at his most badass, and he does have cool moments, but it feels like he gets tossed around or knocked out more than he has cool moments to get the other members of the Seven something to do.

I also never really understood the whole Greek and Roman divide inside of him storyline that he was having. I feel like either more time needed to be devoted to that or have it drop as a plot point completely. It seems kind of moot since one of the whole plots is working together and basically stop the fighting between Greek and Roman sides. I think it would have been more interesting if he had more scenes with Frank who is a child of two worlds and them realizing they don't' have to chose because both are part of them. I don't really understand why Jason would want to be more Greek than Roman anyway, while I personally prefer the Greek stuff, but since we don't get a lot of Jason in Camp Half-Blood, and what we do have is an atypical time. It kind of feels like a no brainer given how little we see of Roman side of the world, but I don't know, would have preferred Jason defending the stuff he grew up with rather than abandoning it.

I would have liked more with Reyna, I'm not sure what, but I would have liked her with the Seven for a while and forming relationships or the the lack of being able to is why she is willing to leave with Nico to deliver the statue.

Additionally with Reyna, I wish she had more time to just talk with Jason. At the end of Lost Hero, there's some implication that Jason has some sort of strong feelings towards Reyna, romantic or other we don't know, and we know from early on that Reyna had a crush on him in Son of Neptune. Then in Mark of Athena it doesn't matter, I don't think they even talk really as things go wrong so quickly and Jason and Piper got together offscreen. We see Reyna's reaction a bit, but even if they weren't romantic or even if it was a failed romantic relationships because Jason is with Piper, I feel like there could have been more. They were friends for a long time and I'm not sure if Jason and Reyna ever talk without someone there in the 5 books. I dont' want them together either, but I feel like something between them would have been nice.

This is ToA stuff but it happens to do with Reyna so I'm putting it here, but I don't really like that Reyna ends up joining the Hunters of Artemis. this is going to sound shitty, but I don't like that as a plot device and as a way to reveal she's AroAce. I know being Aromantic is a spectrum, but the implication of joining the Hunters is to swear off romance completely. I get that it is some people's dream, but I just don't like how Reyna's coming out was protrayed. She had romantic feelings for Jason and slight interest in Percy. Neither went there for obvious reasons, but I feel like there could have been more done with her being AroAce. Like it feels like her coming out as AroAce and joining the Hunters is because she never got the guy, not because of who she is. For example, I think it would have been interesting if she talked with someone about always going after guys who she could never be with specifically because she didn't feel the same way about romance that other kids her age did.

I will also say that part of me kind of wanted Piper and Reyna to pull a Korrasami before Korrasami was a thing, because I didn't like Piper and Jason together. It's selfish and I'm all for Reyna being AroAce or being AroAce on a spectrum since I know some and Reyna actually feels demiromantic to me personally. It would also have been nice for Reyna to give Venus the middle finger by falling in love with a daughter of Aphrodite after Venus said no demigod would heal her heart and made Reyna feel like she was broken all this time. I feel like it was supposed to be about self love or realizing she was AroAce but it's shitty thing to say it that way to a 14 year old

I think Leo was good overall as a character, but I am not a fan of his relationship with Calypso. I don't like the slap slap kiss kiss dynamic they had and with Leo kind of flirty because he felt like the odd one out of the Seven being the only one not in a relationship, I think his story would have been better if he realized that he wasn't actually the odd one out and his friends did love him. sort of him failing at romance but learning to love himself and find a place in a new found family. I will say, if there was someone for him to fall for, I liked his brief meeting with Echo far more than his relationship with Calypso and I think they all deserve better than canon, Calypso included.

Piper unfortunately so much of her character revolves around his relationship with Jason which is why I would prefer the Seven to not have romantic entanglement or let it grow or wither as the story went on. Don't get me wrong, she has some amazing scenes, but I feel like Rick didn't know what to do with her all the time, which I think a lot of characters in HoO suffered from.

I wanted to see more of Camp Jupiter. I get that quests are the driving plot of the whole Percy Jackson series as a whole so we can't spend that much time in one place. But the fact that Camp Jupiter was supposed to be the opposite of Camp Half-Blood, yet is a city state compared to a summer camp, it feels like we didn't spend nearly as much time there as we should. Like with Jason foiling Percy, we had 5 books of seeing bits and pieces of Camp Half-Blood we only got glimpses of Camp Jupiter.

#percy jackson #percy jackson and the olympians #pjo #heroes of olympus #heroes of olympus spoilers #HoO #HoO spoilers #pjo spoilers #trials of apollo #trials of apollo spoilers #toa #toa spoilers

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themultifandomgal · 2 months

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From 2010- Modest Management Suck

2012

Part 20

“We’re about to go out and do some signing” Harry says to the camera

“We’re at Natick Mall in Boston. It’s gonna be really fun, we’ve heard there’s loads and loads of people and we’re very very excited” Niall says as I laugh at Louis pretending to walk down stairs behind us

“Let’s go!” Liam and Harry shout at the same time. We stand behind a door waiting for it to open

“Anyone else feeling nervous?” I ask feeling a slight tingling in my toes and fingers. I can also feel my heart racing

“It’s excitement, you’ll be fine” I hear Richard say. Nodding my head I watch the doors open and I put a smile on my face. I walk behind Harry and in front of Niall just trying to focus on my breathing as we walk through the Mall where so many people are screaming. We all sit down shocked that this many people have come out to see us. The security then let the fans in small groups come over to us. We sigh the books that we had released late last year.

Throughout the whole time I try to keep smiling and my heart racing at bay, but I can always count on my boys for noticing when somethings off. So when we have a little break for something to eat I sit down on the sofa breathing in deeply

“What’s up?” Louis asks frowning as he sits next to me

“I don’t know, my chest hurts” I almost sob “I- I can’t stop shaking, but I’m not cold I’m really warm”

“Paul I don’t think YN should go back out there” Liam says

“No, but Simon…”

“Fuck Simon and what he says” Niall says sitting on my other side

“She’s going out there even if I have to drag her out there” Richard crosses his arms

“Look at her, she can barley breathe” Paul defends

“I think this is makin’ her worse” Harry kneels down and takes a shaking hand in his and gives it a squeeze of reassurance

“She’s going out there and that’s final” with that Richard leaves the room

“Hey jus’ look at me and breath with me” I try to match Harry’s breathing to calm myself down.

Another day another performance. This time is for the Today Show. We arrive on a bus which stops at the Rockefeller Plaza. We all jump off and run to the stage as music is already playing

“New York City make some noise!” Harry yells into his microphone. Immediately WMYB starts playing

“You're insecure, don't know what for. You're turnin' heads when you walk through the door. Don't need makeup to cover up. Bein' the way that you are is enough” Liam starts singing. Harry then turns to look at me and gives me a little encouraging smile since I’ve been feeling so worried and stressed recently

“Everyone else in the room can see it. Everyone else but you”

We all sing the chorus, then it’s Zayn’s turn then mine

“I don't know why you're being shy and turn away when I look into your eyes”…

“One Directions first album has hit number 1 in 6 countries and they could make it 7 this week when Up All Night is released here in the United States. One Direction is Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and YN YLN. Good morning guys”

“Morning” we all say in unison

“What do you like best about American girls?” the interviewer asks and I roll my eyes at the question. I then spot Richard off to the side shaking his head at me

“They’re very very loud” Liam says which causes everyone to scream

“YN what’s it like for you? Your living every girls dream right now being close to these boys all of the time”

“Your right I am living my dream, but it’s being on stage and singing. I’m just lucky I get to do that with these guys I can call family” I reply

“What’s the best and worst part of this sudden fame?”

“I think for me and I know these guys will probably agree, but I’ve made 5 best friends” Zayn says “the only down side would be that we don’t get to see our friends and family as much” or that our every move is controlled, is what I would love to have added on. We continue on the interview and sing a few more songs.

I stand next to Louis and Harry while our choreographer puts us in our places for rehearsals for the Kids Choice Awards

“I want YN and Zayn to switch” Richard says hands on his hips “we can’t afford more cheating rumours so during this song you have to stay away from each other”

“And what happens when the press say YN and Liam are dating or YN and Niall?” Zayn asks

“We will deal with that if it happens. Harry I’m looking into getting you and Taylor Swift together. Boots both of your careers”

“Are you serious?” Zayn raises his eyebrow “this is ridiculous” he huffs

“Simons wishes, keep rehearsing” Richard then leaves us to carry on rehearsals. I take in a deep breath just as I feel an arm around my shoulder. I look up to see Zayn

“I know, me to” neither Zayn or I have ever liked Richard, but we’ve always tried to keep the peace but it’s getting harder and harder.

#harry styles x y/n #harry styles x you #harry styles x reader #harry styles x oc #harry styles imagine #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles #6th one direction member #sixth one direction member #one direction x reader #one direction

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littlegodzilla · 2 years

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Hi!!

I'm here again, I have to say I'm feeling better than the last week. My little boy isn't completly recovered but he's doing fine so I'm feel bettee too to write something. I have some unfinished things that I'll post too... other day, but today I was walking to my job and this idea came to my mind again.

Why again?

Well I thought about it time ago and it was Norman and my husband fault. My man is always teasting me for my platonic love with Daryl, he calls him 'Stripper with possum skin thong' and then I found a gif set about Norman talking about what was daryl's job before like a stripper and the squirrels... a-and I couldn't stop myself, I had to write it...

So here it goes!

I hope you enjoy it!!

Our past.

Daryl Dixon x FemReader.

One shot.

Warnings: Cheating. Bad language. Awkward meeting. Daryl being an asshole. Fighting. Smut. Rough sex. Unprotected sex.

Words: 3300.

Summary: You made the worst mistake of your life and you thought you'll never see him again but life is a bitch and now you don't know what to do.

Taglist: @phoenixblack89 @browneyes528 @pncnsc @purple-serenity @lilythemadqueen @darylsgarden @srhxpci @xxtinasxxblog @green-eyedladywrites @hail-yourselves

You look your reflect on the mirror like every morning since you found Alexandria.

You never thought you would get this far when the world started to fall apart. Many things had changed before that, you left part of your life behind to start over, you wanted to forget the bad decisions that had truncated your plans, your family supported you and you couldn't judge anyone but yourself. It was all your fault, in fact, you yourself ruined your own plans in a night of heat, alcohol and thunderous music.

You sighed long and wet your face with some water. It's been a long time since you remembered those days, you thought you had buried all that long ago, but those blue eyes keep surfacing. You feel like a fool, you can't understand why it's so hard for you to forget someone you only shared one night with. It was intense, wild, dirty and wrong. But you still can't forget him.

"You look like a stupid teenager." You say to your reflection and walk out of the bathroom.

Alexandria is a community settled behind high, reinforced walls to prevent death from entering and you all end up infected. It took you months to find that place, fighting for your life, learning to defend yourself, to hunt on your own, you are sure that if you had not found that place you would have died sooner from hunger than from enemy fire. At first you were wary of the place, perhaps like everyone who arrived there for the first time, but little by little you began to feel integrated and comfortable with both the community and the people who lived there. Deanna soon found a perfect job for you; you would help the children of the community to get on with their normal lives before the apocalypse. There weren't an exaggerated number of them, but there were enough to be able to have a class in one of the rooms in the main house of the community. Every morning you get up early, grab your books and your own notes and head there to get on with your work. There are children of different and varied ages so you spend your mornings with each group to teach them what they need to know. It's fun and you feel useful, plus in the afternoons you take your own shift watching and sometimes even go out exploring. It's not part of your role there in the community, but sometimes it feels like you need to get out from behind the walls and unwind.

That morning it doesn't look like things were going to change too much. Everything looks quiet in the city, people are enjoying their quiet lives as they continue with the tasks and duties imposed so that chaos and fear does not consume the place completely.

You leave the house, the heat starts to get hotter and hotter as summer arrives, you shake the papers in your hands looking for a breeze of fresh air and get going again. The skirt of your dress dances as you walk towards the main house, sometimes you find it strange to think about the clothes you wear or not, how things change being there to when you go out on patrol loaded with your weapons, dressed in several layers to avoid scratches, bumps and even if they catch you, that it costs them to get to bite your skin. There, however, you feel free.

You start with the little ones that morning, with sheets for them to draw, play, learn by painting and having fun is always easier than with the complicated books you found at the Monroe's house. They are learning to memorize numbers and expand their vocabulary, the class is filled with countless babbles and giggles, it almost makes you feel like you are still at home again.

You're finishing up with your classes, it's almost lunchtime, in the afternoon you'll have another couple of hours with the older students when you hear commotion downstairs in the house, the kids are looking at each other nervously, you want to keep calm when one of your teenage students walks through the door.

"Aaron's back." He reports and has an excited smile. "He's coming with more people and it looks like there are kids too."

Before you can say anything, the commotion forms around you, everyone is excited and curious, a small stampede forms and you are left alone in your classroom. You can't blame them, news of new people arriving is always cause for joy, it means more good people, more people safe, more stability and progress. Of course for the children it means new friends to have fun with and escape from reality, so you understand perfectly the excitement and nervousness of your students.

You have had good times and bad times letting people into the community. Not everyone who had arrived at Alexandria's gates was willing to be dictated to by a set of rules that would make it easier for everyone to live together. But you trust Aaron, he and Eric have never failed to find people. It's like a gift. They know when it's worth it and when it's not and this time they seem to have got it right and from what you've heard it's a large and varied group. To tell you the truth even you are curious.

Getting carried away by the feeling, you gather all your things to put them in your bag and leave the main house to head towards the door of the community, you want to meet the newcomers, maybe there are some women of your age with whom you can make a new friendship or future students with whom you will have to deal with as they grow up and become more rebellious. With a smile on your face you pick up your pace.

Before you arrive you see that people start to gather in small groups to observe the newcomers always keeping a safe distance in case things go wrong, the group assigned to guard the entrance and scouting gate get closer, surrounding the newcomers, making sure to take their weapons away and that they can't hurt anyone. Aaron tries to calm his nerves, Eric comes in injured, he's carrying a swollen ankle and is quickly taken to the infirmary. You move closer, you get along well with Aaron, you feel comfortable with them and like to think you are good friends, so you want to know how Eric is doing and get to know the group. Maybe that will make the rest of them not so tense. As you get closer you realize that this is a large group several women, men, a boy entering his teens and a baby. You have to admit that seeing a baby in such a good looking and well-groomed nomadic group surprises you. They are led by a man with curly hair and a fledgling beard, next to him the teenage boy and the baby, a woman with a katana and a young couple, the group opens with several more people and closes with another man with long dark dirty hair, he carries a crossbow in his hands, a leather vest, but when he looks up your breath catches in your chest and by instinct you take a step back.

It's him.

It can't be. After all this time. No, surely it must be a mistake, but those eyes you would be able to recognize anywhere. Not only that, he also seems to have noticed your presence and his face has transformed into a grimace that you can't describe. There is something that makes you flinch. There is pain in his eyes, they all look devastated but it is clear that he has been through something that he still can't get over. For a second you want to push your way through the group and reach out to him. For what reason? What could you say to him? Memories come back to your mind, that night you went out with your friends to celebrate your bachelorette party and you found him.

"Hey." Aaron's voice brings you back to reality, you look at him and he looks nervous. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"No, it's just..." You don't know how to explain it to them.

How do you tell them that you knew this man from a party so long ago? How do you tell him that you've been unable to forget him even though you've shared so little time together?

"Daryl..." His name makes your heart pump violently in your chest. "You know her?" The man leading them looks at his companion curiously. He bites his lip several times and shakes his shoulders.

"Nah."

You have to admit that you weren't expecting an emotional reunion, a long hug or tears of joy laden with relief-filled whispers, because your relationship was no more extensive than one night, a brief conversation, an intense gaze and your bodies merging in the alleyway of the same pub where you had coincided. But you are also bothered by his definitive answer, maybe he hasn't remembered you, it has been a long time since then and that makes you feel worse because you have been unable to forget him.

Instinctively you take a step back again, standing next to Aaron, clearing your throat and touching the arm of the man who continues to look at you in confusion.

"What happened to Eric?"

"We had a little slip up, it's just a dislocated ankle, nothing major."

"I'm glad." You smile and give him a little hug. "I'm going to see him in the infirmary."

After a few days the new group seems to be adapting to the community, little by little everyone has found a job or stability, some begin to trust the people of the community, others are still distrustful and others pretend to be content but have their walls up waiting for any problem. Despite being well behind the walls of Alexandria, Rick does not understand the lack of weapons, something that some neighbors also share since the world is becoming more hostile and you need to be able to defend yourselves, but Deanna is firm in her decisions and the weapons are always kept in storage except when the patrol groups went to explore, nothing else.

You quickly walk away feeling your breath hitch and your heart pounding violently in your chest. You don't notice Daryl's eyes following you until you disappear.

Still no one was able to take Daryl's crossbow from him.

That morning you head back to your first class at the main house, as you pass the house where Rick and his people have settled in you stop. Carol and Daryl are on the porch of one of the houses talking, the man is fixing his crossbow and answers his companion with little grunts and monosyllables. Carol walks away and as she passes you she smiles and waves, you reciprocate and bite your lip before moving towards Daryl. You want to apologize to him, if he isn't who you thought he was you didn't want him to be uncomfortable with you, you would formally introduce yourself and you could remain simple neighbors. When you get to his side you see him tense up, he stops what he's doing for a few seconds, then looks down, he pretends to pretend you're not there and it pisses you off.

"Hello..." You greet him and introduce yourself, he's still focused on his weapon. "I wanted to apologize...for the other day." That gets his attention, he stops and looks at you. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I thought...I thought that..." You get choked up and stammer, you feel your cheeks start to heat up as you can't find the words. "I thought you were someone I knew, but... I'm sorry." You say quickly feeling your heart pounding. "Can we pretend it didn't happen and... be friends?" You propose feeling like a teenager. He stares at you, those blue eyes get your knees shaking and you're almost sure you didn't miss when you recognized him, but if he wants to pretend it's not, you can accept it.

He shakes his shoulders and nods.

"Sure..."

"Yeah? Great, it's nice to meet you, Daryl. I'll see you around." You smile encouragingly and before he answers you turn around to go in search of your students.

You are dead embarrassed when you finally find out where you are, your friends have taken you to a strip club with strippers and have seated you in a room for you alone where they intend to make you one of those numbers. You have tried to run away on a couple of occasions, but your friends have left you no escape. Between laughter and alcohol your mood is slowly changing and you feel a little dizzy, but more receptive.

"Congratulations for yer wedding." You hear him say behind you and you freeze in your tracks.

"I can't believe I agreed to let you guys do this to me..."

"Come on it'll be fun!" one of them encourages you, filling your glass once more.

"I remind you that last time it didn't go well."

"And that's why we've made sure this time will be different. Shut up and enjoy it."

You had to admit you weren't expecting to see a real attractive man, when he appeared on the small platform where he would perform his dance you felt a strange tug in your lower abdomen. His intense blue gaze was riveted on you from the first moment, he was new you could tell it wasn't the job he was most passionate about as his movements were somewhat awkward and uncoordinated with the music, but he was handsome and strong despite being a bit skinny, he wore an open leather vest and a black slip. He didn't let you touch him too much, but admiring him was enough to make you lose your mind.

It was an intense half hour that you knew you could never repeat, or maybe if some other friend got married, but it would be different. Even though the show was over, your party was still going on and the alcohol was still taking its toll on your common sense. You didn't know exactly what time it was, you almost had trouble remembering where you were, but you needed to go to the bathroom and that's where you got completely lost.

When you returned to your friends you discovered the dancer at the bar, he had changed his skimpy clothes for jeans but was still wearing his vest, you licked your lips and staggered a little before moving towards him. You tapped him on the arm, you smiled as you caught his attention by leaning on the bar next to him.

"Thanks for the show." You told him with a chuckle and he snorted.

"I ain't work here." He grunted.

"Oh no? Then there's a guy who looks a lot like you."

"It's been a fuckin' debt." He grumbled and played with the sticker on his beer. "My brother doesn't know how to close his deals without getting me in the middle."

"It's a shame... I liked it..." You said without taking your eyes off him, he turned to you curiously.

"Enjoying the party?"

"Very much, although the night is already ending and that makes me sad..."

"Why?"

"Because as of tomorrow I will no longer have freedom..."

Your gazes connected feeling again that intensity around you, I bite your lip and he smiled half-sideways.

"I-I'm going to cum!" you moaned and clenched around his cock. You heard him grunt and he pulled harder on your hair, pulled you away from the wall and his hand closed over your neck.

Your back bumped against the alley wall, his hands tightened on your waist going down to your ass which he grabbed tightly making you moan as his mouth ran down your neck. Desire and need coursing through your bodies, you were devouring each other, your mouths red from the intensity of your kisses, but you needed more. He turned you around, your hands resting on the wall, lifted the skirt of your dress, ripped your stockings and parted your legs with his. Your pussy pulsed and moistened wanting to feel what would happen next. You heard him spit and you bit your lip as you felt his tip break through inside you thrusting with a single lunge. You moaned loudly, but he didn't give you time to adjust to his intrusion, he began to lunge hard inside you holding you by the waist, tangling his fingers in your hair making your body arch guiding him, totally at his mercy. His rhythm was intense, fast and deep, his fingers digging into the skin of your waist and the pull on your hair was almost painful, but the angle at which his cock pounded inside you sent violent currents of pleasure throughout your body. Your moans hid the wet, obscene sound your bodies made as they moved.

"No..." He gasped in your ear, his hips moving slower. "Not yet." His beard scratched your skin as he rocked his hips against you, moving torturously inside you. Every time you brushed your limit he pulled you away from him turning you into a desperate, needy mess.

"Please..." You moaned, he had stopped completely without leaving your pussy, his sheer size got your knees shaking, not to mention his hand still around your neck and the other in your hair.

"Please? can't ya take it anymore?"

"No... no, please, I need to..." You pleaded and felt him smile against your cheek.

"Easy girl, I know very well what ya need."

He leaned your body forward and thrust hard again, his hands now gripping your hips tightly each time he rammed inside you, hard, deep, with a wild rhythm that brought you both to your limit.

Your body trembled as you gasped trying to catch your breath, still dizzy from your orgasm, beside you he dressed without taking his eyes off your body.

"Congratulations on yer wedding."

Slowly you turn to look at him again. Daryl is standing on the porch, he has put his crossbow aside and is looking at you with intensity. You are confused and at the same time you feel annoyed. It was him, you had not failed in your suspicions and yet Daryl had led you to believe the opposite. You frown and walk back up to his position clenching your fists.

The next morning you woke up with those thunderous words piercing your ears. The memories, the images, your aching body, everything about the previous night fell on your consciousness like a huge slab that you were unable to lift. You weren't even able to look your fiancé in the face, you had made a big mistake.

"Yes that was you, why did you say we didn't know each other?"

"'Cause we dunno each other. We ain't friends, we ain't even acquaintances. We just fucked one night." He says shrugging his shoulders, you feel your cheeks redden. It's clear he remembers it too.

"You could have said yes, you didn't need to explain yourself..."

"Nah, always have to explain, besides what if yer husband found out?" He asks you in a husky voice, raising an eyebrow, crosses his arms and shifts his body weight from one leg to the other. You mute for a second and lower your head.

"I didn't get married..." You whisper.

"What?"

"That I didn't get married." You say louder and raise your head to look at him.

"Why not?"

"Why not? How could I get married after what happened?"

"Dunno, ya could have moved on with yer life."

"Of course not, I couldn't do that to him! I-I cheated him, it wasn't fair to him..." You stammer and fidget nervously, Daryl stares at you tensing his jaw for a second.

"Maybe ya didn't love him as much as ya thought ya did and getting laid with the redneck would help save yer ass." He says and you look at him with wide eyes.

"You're such an asshole..."

"Ya didn't care when ya were suckin' my dick so fuckin' good I thought ya'd pull my fuckin' soul out through the tip."

You act without thinking, unaware that you've slapped him until you feel your fingertips sting from the impact against his cheek. Daryl doesn't move, his face turns toward the direction of the blow, his hair swirls covering his eyes, but he doesn't say anything. You feel your tears fill your eyes and you take a couple of steps back and then speed away.

I hope you liked it!

See you in the next stories!!❤

#my stuff #norman reedus #normanreedus #smut #daryl dixon #daryldixon #twd fanfiction #one shot #smut one shot #daryl x reader #daryl dixon x femreader #daryl dixon x reader #daryl one shot #daryl fanfiction

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fangirleaconmigo · 2 years

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I Can't Believe It's Not Fanon Part III

Otherwise known as...

Witcher facts that sound like Geraskier fic writers made them up, but that are, in fact, book canon.

People have told me they're interested in this series, so I've made another! (full list of posts at the end)

For this post I'm discussing:

A popular headcanon/fanon that involves Geralt traveling with Jaskier for years before learning his birth name. The fanon scene where he learns Jaskier's birth name usually involves someone addressing Jaskier as “Julian Alfred Pankratz” and Geralt going “Excuse me Julian what? Pankratz Who?”

In this headcanon, (which is usually a funny scene) Jaskier has kept his family origins/noble birth a secret, and there is more to him than Geralt realized.

Jaskier having two separate names has inspired a lot of creativity in the fandom. People play with the concept of how Jaskier feels about his name, why he would try to separate himself from his family, etc etc. Queer fans especially may relate to alienation from family, fighting to establish your own identity, and changing your name. It is *throws glitter* transformative fandom.

Now, in TWN, Jaskier introduces himself as Julian Alfred Pankratz multiple times in Geralt’s vicinity. So, if you’ve only watched TWN, the headcanon that Jaskier has hidden his family name/nobility from Geralt for years might seem like pure fanon.

Well folks. In case you didn’t know...

It’s canon.

(sorry I may never stop using my Beyond Belief Jonathan Frakes gifs for this)

Now, I am going to share that passage with you with my analysis.

But first I want to set the stage for what the passage tells us about Geralt and Dandelion’s relationship. Then I’ll theorize why Dandelion has hidden his true name from Geralt.

As always, minor book spoilers. I try to extract only the quotes I need to analyze, without spoiling the plot.

So, Geralt thinks that he knows everything there is to know about Dandelion. After all, he does know quite a bit. He knows that Dandelion had literacy beat into him at a temple school. He knows how and when he fell in love with poetry. His knowledge about Dandelion does imply many nights of aimless conversation. And Geralt has been listening!

Also, Geralt sees Dandelion as a motormouth who can’t keep secrets to save his life! Geralt laments his lack of discretion and tact on many occasions. He calls him a “prattler”. Which, tough but fair.

Combine those two things and you have a witcher who believes there is nothing new to learn about his simple friend. In Sword of Destiny, they have an argument and Geralt says as much.

So in this scene, Geralt is upset at Dandelion for flirting with girls at a party. They are back in their shared room and arguing. (I’m going to do an analysis about that in my ‘Geralt and Dandelion share beds’ post, but I won’t go into detail here) But for the purposes of this post, at the end of this argument, Geralt insists that he knows Dandelion well. Dandelion responds:

“You only think you know me. Don’t forget: I'm complicated by nature.”

“Dandelion,” the Witcher sighed, now genuinely tired. “You’re a cynic, a lecher, a womanizer, and a liar. And there’s nothing, believe me, nothing complicated about that. Good night.”

Dandelion only replies:

“Goodnight, Geralt.”

Sword of Destiny page 208

But does Geralt know him as well as he thinks he does? Two books later, Geralt is in the forest with his friends. They are searching for some potential informants who might help them find Ciri. They come upon some druid pilgrims being slaughtered by bandits and Nilfgaardians. Geralt and Milva (his archer friend and love of my life) jump in and start defending them, killing the bandits bloody and violent.

Once they’ve killed them all, some knights appear out of nowhere. Geralt doesn’t want to be skewered by their lances, and Milva thinks they’ll be arrested for killing Nilfgaardians, so they hide under a wagon. By the way, whenever knights appear in the story, you know it is going to be hilarious and ridiculous. They are always very competent but also very very pompous and the way they interact with Geralt is always gold. And if the witcher books are good at one thing, it’s effectively weaving horrors with humor.

So anyway, the knights approach and one of them calls out:

“Get out!...Drop your weapons and get out!”

The knights make various threats, thinking Geralt and co. are in league with the bandits.

Geralt and Milva emerge, and one of the knights recognizes Geralt.

So the knight he helped says:

“Free them with all haste!” he called. “They are not bandits, but upright and honest folk!...And that fellow is a goodly knight!”

A bit earlier on in the forest, Geralt saved this knight from bandits. The man mistook Geralt for a knight, and Geralt didn’t correct him. He basically said ‘oh let’s not talk heraldry there’s no time’ (LMAO) and ran off to find and help his friends.

The other knights are incredulous. They look at Geralt and don’t believe that he is a knight. The man assures them.

...”I give you my word! This doughty fellow saved my life when I was in need, after I was flung to the ground by the ne’er-do-wells. He is called Geralt of Rivia.”

So the other knight turns to Geralt and asks...

“Arms?”

Well, Geralt has no arms or heraldry because he isn’t a knight. But his response is hilarious.

“I’m forbidden from revealing them,” the Witcher grunted. “I can share neither my true name nor my arms. I have taken knightly vows. I am the errant Geralt.”

I’m dying laughing at that point. Geralt has such a complicated relationship with knights. He resents them a bit. They are often very religious, which is usually associated with believing witchers are abominations. So. Not good. But he wanted to be one, and would love to be seen as heroic, whether he admits it or not. He also admires their skill and competence. However, he finds their pretentiousness totally absurd. It’s complicated! Geralt automatically reverts to his driest most wilting sarcasm whenever he’s around them. I think it’s partly a defense mechanism. (that’s just me editorializing)

But ok, anyway, Dandelion appears with his ‘lute and his ever present tube of scrolls’. praising Geralt for rescuing them not a moment too soon.

And then one of the knights, the one that doubted Geralt’s bona fides as a knight:

“...leaned over in his saddle, and his eyes shone. Viscount Julian?”

Hm, a wrinkle! Dandelion recognizes him and replies:

“Baron de Peyrac-Peyran?”

Geralt doesn’t seem to notice. He’s preoccupied with something else (finding the informants) and he tries to talk to the Baron. But, the baron ignores him because he:

...only had eyes, it seemed, for Dandelion. “Pon my word,” he drawled. “My eyes do not deceive me! It’s Viscount Julian in person. Ha! The Duchess will be pleased!”

At this point it registers with Geralt and he asks:

“Who is Viscount Julian?” the Witcher asked curiously.

He has no clue whatsoever. Five books in.

“That would be me,” Dandelion muttered. “Don’t interfere, Geralt.”

Dandelion is like...you’ve saved all of us from bandits but these people are barons and this is the part where I deal with things. It kind of reminds me of Stede telling Ed he can deal with all the asshole nobles in OFMD. Like. These are my people, this is what I do.

The knights are adamant that they must take “Viscount Julian” at once to Beauclaire Castle to the local Duchess, who would want to see him. Geralt says he can’t. He has unfinished business with these informants that he must carry out. Dandelion insists on going with Geralt.

“Me too,” Dandelion muttered, “I’m with you too...”

So, Dandelion turns down the opportunity to go to a luxurious castle with people who adore him, which is very very suspect. Geralt doesn’t need him on this mini-mission. The knights are a little offended, saying that they insist on taking Dandelion, that he doesn’t have a choice, and that the rest of them would be welcome too.

“As the companions of Viscount Julian, Her Grace, Lady Henarietta, would have gladly received you with all due respect and invited you to stay at the castle, but why, if you scorn her hospitality...”

So, their association with Dandelion would get them all kinds of special treatment. Geralt insists he does not scorn her hospitality and will catch up to them. He will meet them at Beauclair Castle. Then Geralt gets in a little joke. He says...

“We shall unfailingly go there. If only,” he added knowingly and with emphasis, “to ensure that no disgrace or dishonor befalls our comrade, Dandelion. I meant, Julian, by thunder.”

He is letting them know that if anything happens to Dandelion, they will answer for it. But he also gets in a little dig at Dandelion for having sprung this on him, and also the knights, who keep saying “Pon my word” and “By thunder” which Geralt thinks is pretentious as hell. (He makes fun of them a few times for it but they never notice.) The baron misses his sarcasm.

“Pon my word!” the baron suddenly laughed. “No disgrace nor dishonor will befall Viscount Julian. I’m prepared to give my word on it! For I omitted to tell you, viscount, that Duke Raymund died of apoplexy two years past.”

That is when we find out why Dandelion didn’t want to go with them. Not surprisingly, it was because the husband wanted him dead. We also get a taste of Dandelion’s utter lack of filter and signature lack of tact.

“Ha, ha!” Dandelion shouted, beaming all over. “The Duke kicked the bucket! These truly are marvelous and joyous tidings!”

You can just picture everyone looking at him like....excuse me? Because he quickly catches himself and changes course.

“I mean, I meant to say, sorrow and grief, a great loss. May the earth lay lightly on him. Lol very meaningful and sincere Dandelion. And then he agrees to go with them. If that is the case, let’s ride with all haste to Beauclair noble knights!”

After Geralt rides away with Milva and Angoulême (another member of his party, a teenager I adore) Angoulême says:

“Dandelion claims that Duchess Henarietta is madly in love with him.”

Geralt is dismissive.

“Dandelion always claims that.”

The Tower of the Swallow, pages 250-260

(This is a bit off topic but Angoulême’s first reference to Dandelion in the books was to call him a ‘comely fellow’ which I thought was cute.)

Ok, so that was the time Geralt found out Dandelion’s family name and title, and learned that maybe he didn’t know everything there was to know about his best friend. It has a remarkable resemblance to all the fanon, at least some of which was written without knowledge of book canon. It just fits!

Your bonus...Ciri Finds Out The Same Way goes like this...

In the final book, Lady of the Lake, Geralt and Ciri return to Beauclair. They come upon some, shall we say, legal proceedings, where Dandelion is being charged with (among other things) debauchery and harlotry: (honestly, it does sound like him)

“Good gentlemen and burghers of Beauclair and the surroundings!” he read thunderously and funereally from an unrolled parchment. “It is known that Julian Alfred Pankratz, Viscount de Lettenhove, alias Dandelion--

“Pancratts what?” Ciri whispered a question.

Lady of the Lake page 470

Now remember, Ciri knows Dandelion. Dandelion was even responsible for watching her when Geralt and Yen went to the Thanedd ball. But his family name is still news to her.

It is a funny running joke. And it makes his character a bit intriguing. There is always more to him than meets the eye. Why does Dandelion do this? Why does he hide his identity, and for so long?

It isn’t to hide from vengeful husbands, because he has committed just as many indiscretions as Dandelion. So there is no protection in that name. It isn’t that he has left his family entirely behind or that he refuses to be called Julian. In Season of Storms, his cousin Ferrant de Lettenhove calls him Julian, and he doesn’t seem to mind at all.*

I’ve seen one fan theorize that the “Viscount” title is more of a scam on Dandelion’s part. But Geralt does meet his cousin in Season of Storms, as mentioned above, so there is that proof of who his family is. Also, his cousin has a very respectable government position.

Dandelion does makes an offhand remark in Baptism of Fire that I think is pretty revealing. Geralt and his friends (including Dandelion) are all spending the evening talking shit and getting wasted on moonshine in Regis’s summer shack. (one of the best scenes in all the books) And Dandelion, drunk as hell, says:

“Ah, well.” Dandelion looked around the shack with a slightly vacant stare. If the Countess de Lettenhove could see me like this.”

The only person listening to him at this point is Milva who asks:

“Who?”

“Never mind. Bloody hell, this moonshine really does loosen the tongue...Geralt? Should I pour you another one Geralt?”

“Leave him be,” Milva said, “Let him sleep.”

Baptism of Fire, page 138

Now, I could be wrong, and am happy to hear other theories, but that sounds like his family would disapprove of his lifestyle. It is the only time I can remember him letting anything slip, and he immediately curses the moonshine for making him slip.

There are also moments that imply how odd, even bizarre it is to see a poet out in a war zone wading through corpses in harm's way instead of (as Milva says) “writing rhymes in a quiet spot somewhere.” He’s always seen as out of place, and unsuitable for the dangerous mission. What he is doing isn't normal or typical for a poet. So it's reasonable to think his family probably disapproves, and hiding his connection is his way of either keeping them off his back for soiling the family name, or just as a way to escape whatever weight his family exerts on his life and decisions.

But why wouldn’t he tell Geralt? It isn’t like Geralt is going to tell people. Maybe there is something deeper or more traumatic there that even he (the prattler) doesn't want to discuss.

I haven’t finished my reread, so I may think differently after I do. I do notice so many more things the second time around, and I may come up with more ideas or relevant passages. So if anyone else has any thoughts about anything obvious I’ve missed, let me know.

So yeah, that’s my take on Jaskier’s name, and Geralt finding out about it!

Alright, the other I Can't Believe It's Not Fanon posts and I've linked the ones I've finished. I'll come back and add links as I go:

A shape shifter reads Geralt's mind, then turns into Jaskier because he knows that’s the best way to protect himself.

Geralt and Jaskier share beds.

Geralt and Jaskier share clothes.

Geralt may play it cool to his face, but he thinks Jaskier has a gorgeous voice.

Jaskier has a voice so beautiful, it can calm a monster.

Geralt drops everything to protect Jaskier, every time, even in the middle of battles when there are other people around to protect.

Geralt can smell lust

Bad guys kidnap Jaskier in order to get to get to Geralt. Geralt slaughters every single one of them.

They also share a kiss in a few of the translations, but not all. It's a very "y yo también" situation.

*There are all kinds of continuity issues with that novel. It was the last one in publication order, but ostensibly it takes place chronologically between The Last Wish and Season of Storms. So then, Geralt would have already known when he ‘found’ out in The Tower of Swallows.

But Sapko really doesn’t seem to care about things like continuity or timelines or maps or a medieval setting that is consistent with a real life historical setting. He just writes the stories and lets us nerds fight about the details.

#the witcher #geraskier #the witcher books #geralt of rivia #jaskier #gerlion #dandelion #i can't believe it's not fanon #canon or fanon

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wraitingtoyou · 1 year

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Slow motion

Genshin men and moments where they felt like you stop the time when they look at you.

Gn!reader.

Includes : Diluc, Xiao, Alhaitham.

pt2 if requested.

Not proofread

Diluc

You have him so weak. He's glad you don't know the effect you have on him. You both are busy people. But in between your work travels when you two do meet and you're babbling on about even the silliest weirdest of things, like when you saw a Pyro mage's Shield get broken from the rain or how Timmy needs to open a meat stall. You just look different. You look a lot more cute.

People think you're weird when you babble about these things out of nowhere but Diluc with his busy life finds it refreshing to have a business partner who knows how to joke and he can relax around.

"I truly believe adding 'kids' option to selling weapons and many other materials will be beneficial. But oh well my assistant keeps telling me that's too childish for an idea well duh we are talking about KIDS here"

Diluc chuckle and extended you a hand "Well how about we think of it the other way" he began as you wo started to walk off in distance "If we put it..."

You really bring him work and break at the same time.

Xiao

He's an adeptus who has lived for thousand of years. He has seen everyone's moments of joy, sorrow and grief. Even his own. Yet you who popped out of nowhere, your own profile a secret. Nag at him in the worst ways possible "Xiao join us don't be different, what are you? An attention seeker?"

"Xiao you should rest, just because you're an adeptus doesn't mean you can't get tired too. Even machines need rest and you're not even a machine"

Your expression of worry. When was it when someone gave him that look last time? The way you keep searching for him for useless humanly activites. ...was it even useless humanly activities to him anymore? He secretely hopes you are an immortal too. The one selfish wish of his, he asks the archons.

Alhaitham

Let's be real here. Alhaitham is definitely not the romantic person he's too busy in studies. Even if he did find himself getting into it, it wouldn't be all that serious and he'd distance himself from it like a pro.

But you're like a magnet. Your annoying ass just pops out of nowhere. Library? You're there. Bazaar? You're there. Desert? You're there. Illegal market? You're- wait what are you doing there!!??

You both had cloaks and masks on of course but he could recognise your size and the fake voice you tried to use. He drags you out somehow. You both promise to explain everything tomorrow. "Alright enough playing around. Why were you there?"

You folded your arms "I could ask the same to you."

"I was there for research purposes-" before he could finish you snapped your fingers "Bingo! So was I!!" He sighed "the difference between our researches ar-"

You pulled out a huge book and smacked it on the table. "See I wanted to see if cooking Whopperflowers would be considered vegetarian or non vegetarian and the market seemed to be the perfect place for me to search for-" he didn't even try to stop you from rambling on about it again. Sure you were annoying. You talked about the most horrifying experiments, but it's surprising for him how no matter how many idiots he came across his life you are the first idiot to stress and worry him this much.

He put his hands on your shoulder "which apparently to one of the-" "shhh" he shushed you and turned you around then pushed you out "First your ideas are foul and horrible."

" Second do you not have a sense of safety?"

"And third never go to the market for such purposes again."

" Four if you ever need help with the dangerous experiments you can tell me."

"See that's why I never tell y-" you were going to defend yourself but stopped after you processed what he just said "you'll help me!!??" He squinted "Well if it keeps you from creating trouble then I guess I shall."

You had a wide idiot smile which Haitham could not see because your backing was facing him but he could feel your smile.

"but I have some conditio-" you didn't even let him finish again. "Great! We can get working to experiment #145 then!!! My idea was to check if the bouncing mushrooms could be used as a weapon to-" He sighed, there you were again. However you made him feel something. A rush.

Maybe he's an addict to the rush you give him after all.

#genshin imagines #genshin x reader #genshin fanfic #alhaitham #xiao #diluc #xiao x reader #alhaitham x reader #Diluc x reader #alhaitham ff #diluc ff #xiao ff #genshin fanfiction

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cyberphuck · 1 year

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ASSASSIN’S APPRENTICE ABRIDGED: PART FOUR

My friend Razz wants to understand my shitposting about the Farseer Trilogy, but doesn’t want to have to read the books, so I’m summarizing it for them!

EDIT: Halfway through Jhaampe I start calling “The Big Turnip” the “Big Onion” instead and I can’t be arsed to fix it.

Read Previous Entries!

Alright Bastards and Old Bloods, this is it: the final entry and JUMBO-LENGTH conclusion to Assassin’s Apprentice Abridged!

- Excerpt from Chade Fallstar's private writings, Grune 28th, 1497:

Dear Diary, the other day we caught a little zombie-Forged girl and I've been keeping her in a jar with a stick and a leaf. If I shake the jar, she talks. She knows who she is and who her family is, and she also knows a lot of swear words. I gave her some bread when she wasn't hungry and she said "shove it up your ugly ass." I tried to teach her a trick and she bit me. I decided to send her to live on a farm upstate along with Chivalry and Prince Regal's mom.

Love, Chadey.

While Chade has been playing Jane Goodall with Forged people, Fitz has been very busy being an alcoholic. One evening, Chade calls Fitz up into his wall-hole and says "It's time for you to stop being a drunk and for the readers to remember who Prince Verity is."

"Why is there a hay bale in the corner of your--"

"Prince Verity is Chivalry's younger brother and currently King-in-Waiting for the throne," the Fool says, lounging underneath the hay bale. "That makes Prince Regal next in line after Verity. Just so you know."

"Right," Chade nods. "Fitz, your job from now on is to hang out with Verity in his Fortress of Solitude and do whatever he wants you to do."

"I'm fourteen," Fitz says.

"Don't argue with me, boy, I've got a wedding to plan. By the way, did you ever figure out who tried to kill Burrich?"

Fitz shrugs. "I figured somebody tried to kill him because he's Burrich."

"Ah yes, the age-old solution of 'things just happen, what the hell," Chade rolls his eyes. "Well, go on, shoo. Go bother Verity."

Sighing, Fitz climbs thirty-nine flights of stairs to where Verity is sitting in his empty tower room and staring out the window. "Breakfast, your highness," Fitz announces.

"Ew," Verity moans.

"There's also a cup of tea with enough caffeine in it to kill some sort of very big gray trumpet animal," Fitz offers.

"Yeah, okay, I'll take that."

"So, uh," Fitz says, standing there awkwardly as Verity drinks an amount of stimulant that should make his heart explode, "watcha doin up here?"

"Defending the kingdom."

Fitz looks out the window at the ocean. He looks back at Verity. "Like... with a gun?"

Verity smiles softly. "Oh, you're stupid. I like that in a person I'm going to use as a tool for the rest of my life."

"I like you, too," Fitz says, tail wagging.

"I'm using the Skill to confuse the Vikings so they won't raid our shit and turn our people into zombies," Verity explains. "I'd ask Galen's Skill students to help but they're pretty useless. Hey, didn't Galen teach YOU how to Skill?"

"Oh, he tried but I'm bad at it, it's because I'm a basta-- HHHHGGGHHGHGHHGHHHHHH KEPPET.EXE HAS ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO GHHHGH TROJAN DETECTED TAKE ACTION TO PREVENT GHHGGHHHH HOT SINGLES IN YOUR AREA CLICK HERE TO CHAT GHHGHGGGHHHHHH"

"Huh," Verity says after thoroughly mentally assaulting Fitz without warning or permission. "Looks like someone used the Skill to convince you you were bad at Skilling. That’s just one of the many things the Skill can do that I will reveal to you whenever I feel like it, which will usually be AFTER you need to know.”

"I think I need an adult," Fitz whimpers from the floor.

Verity chuckles fondly. "I am an adult. Too bad I don't really have time to teach you to Skill properly. That probably won't come back to bite us. Run along now, stop crying. Oh, and see if Chade can get you to murder that gross noble two counties over."

A few weeks later, at breakfast, Fitz tries to eat Coco Puffs as quietly as possible while Verity and Shrewd argue.

"I don't WANT to get married," Verity says for the eighteenth time. "I've gotta keep sitting in the Martyr Tower and keeping Vikings from attacking us!"

"Well guess what, bucko, I'm your father AND your king and if I say you're getting married then you fucking are!" Shrewd rage-butters a scone. "And I swear to Eda if you pull a Malicious Compliance like your older brother and marry the absolute worst candidate for queen you can find then I'll look the other way when YOU'RE assassinated too!"

Fitz slowly reaches for the cereal box, eyes wide.

"It'll be good for morale, Verity," Shrewd goes on. "Everybody'll be like, 'oh, if the Prince is getting married and pumping babies into some foreign woman then being murdered by Vikings really isn't that bad!'"

"And who did Regal choose for me to be married to?" Verity asks.

Shrewd looks at the smudged writing on his hand. "The Kraken," he announces.

"You mean Kettricken?" Verity says. "The mountain princess? I'm like twice her age. And I don't have time to go to the mountains to grab her, Vikings will totally Vike you all while I'm gone!"

"Well SOMEBODY'S gotta go up there and grab her," Shrewd insists.

"Figure it out," Verity snaps as he storms out of the room. "And by the way, Fitz has been sitting there eating six bowls of sugar cereal because he has no adult supervision!"

He slams the door.

"Hi Grandpa Shrewd," Fitz says into the silence.

"Hello, Lil Accident. Just so you know, Kettricken is only second in line to the mountain throne. First is her brother Rurisk, who took an arrow to the chest a couple years back and now is about to die from Being Poisoned to Get Him Out of the Way."

"Yes Grandpa Shrewd.”

Chade Spidermans down from the ceiling. "You're sending him and not me? Why?"

"Plot reasons," Shrewd says, taking the cereal box away from Fitz.

"Oh boy," Fitz says, jumping up. "I'm gonna go tell my friend the Fool!"

The Fool's not in his room, but a bunch of other cool stuff is: every Lego set from 1973 onward, a bunch of those neon-colored ponchos from the 90's, Sudoku puzzles completed in ballpoint pen, and A BABY????

Oh wait, that's a doll. Looks like a baby though. Weird.

Next Fitz goes to visit Patience. Patience is sifting through an old jewelry box; she sits Fitz down so she can hold different things up to him and see how they look.

"Hmm. No, too subtle... this one's too gaudy. Ah, yes, this one." Patience pulls out a black collar with the word DADDY on it in gold letters. "Yes, this is perfect. Put it on, Fitz."

It's eventually decided that since Verity can't go to the mountains, Regal is going to be a stand-in at the wedding and then they'll have another wedding later when the Kraken comes down to Buckkeep. Fitz is loading up the horse-van for the journey when the Fool cartwheels up to him.

"I have something for you," the Fool jingles.

"I didn't go in your room and touch your doll or accidentally drop your seven thousand five hundred and forty one piece Millenium Falcon Lego set," Fitz blurts.

"Take this Pepto Bismol," the Fool says, "and don't eat anything weird in the mountains."

"Don't worry about me, Fool," Fitz laughs. "I'm sure nothing bad'll happen."

Fitz goes on a road trip. August, Fitz's cousin and current member of the Skill Gang, is going with them to help Verity Skill-connect to the wedding when it's time. Hands the stableboy is also there, which is nice, because they're taking the I-5 to Jhaampe, the mountain capital, and there's not a lot to look at on the way. They travel through a lot of places that Fitz is just going to have to travel through again in two books while being chased by Regal, so all he really notices is that there's a shitton of grass, a bigass lake, and only one set of hot girls who want to give him and hands their first sexual experience (the girls' mom shows up and hits them with a sandal until they go home).

The wedding party climbs into the foothills of the mountain kingdom, and there waiting for them are... the Vikings?

Okay, so the group of seafaring raiders that I've been referring to as "The Vikings" are culturally sort of more like Mongol raiders. It's not really a one-to-one comparison but the important point here is that the mountain people are what we in the real world would typically imagine Vikings to be, except that here in the Six Duchies the Vikings are the Vikings and the mountain people only LOOK like Vikings, Fitz is Simba, Regal is Scar and I think the Fool is Horatio.

Are we clear? Alright moving on.

Fitz and co. are greeted by a welcoming party of mountain people, who are tall and pale and blond. They're super friendly and cheerful, singing the Songs of Their People and totally confusing Hands, who doesn't speak Mountain. Fitz doesn't speak Mountain either, probably. Maybe.

They arrive in Jhaampe, where the buildings look like if you cut off the tops of the towers in Red Square or planted a bunch of turnips upside down. A second welcoming party pops up, and when August and his cronies complain that their feet are tired and they don't feel like walking anymore, the mountain peeps carry them into the city on planks. Fitz is extremely embarrassed by this and is trying not to cringe all the way down into his tights.

To seem less like a lazy dick who makes strangers carry him places for no reason, Fitz strikes up a conversation with one of the old ladies carrying his plank. Her name is Jonqui and she knows a lot about the city, and slows the plank down so she can point out interesting landmarks and gardens.

"Pull-Out Fail speaks good Mountain," she remarks, grinning. "Maybe he learned as a tadpole?"

"I'm just super good with languages I probably grew up speaking," Fitz shrugs.

They arrive at the biggest turnip, which serves as Jhaampe's royal palace. Jonqui escorts Fitz inside and he finds that it's not really a palace, it's more like a tent made out of a tree, with a lot of open space in the middle, and there's not a whole lot of private spaces that he might use to murder their prince.

Whatever, he'll figure it out.

"Come, Pull-Out Fail," Jonqui says, herding Fitz to a center stage. "We will watch our Shift Manager present his Shift Manager to be your Shift Manager."

"Shift Manager?"

"Yes, that is what we call our royalty. When someone comes to demand to speak to the person in charge, the Shift Manager is the one we have chosen to throw under the bus," Jonqui explains. "It is a very important duty."

Besides King Eyod, who is an old person, there are two random mountain folk in white dresses. Fitz eyeballs them and wonders where the rest of the royal family is. "The girl one," Jonqui says, elbowing Fitz, "she is my niece."

"Neat," Fitz yawns, still looking around for someone wearing a crown. "That other guy looks like He-Man."

"Yes, he is my nephew."

Gifts are exchanged.

"This isn't going to be like that one scene in Midsommar, is it?" Fitz asks warily. "You're not going to like, set these people on fire?"

"This," King Eyod announces, taking He-Man by the shoulder, "is my son, Shift Manager Rurisk, first in line to the throne of the mountain kingdom. And here is Shift Manager Kettricken, who shall marry the Shift Manager of the Six Duchies and become their General Manager, She Who Sets the Schedule."

There is general oohing and ahhing and applause. Fitz realizes he's been chatting boredly with the King's sister this entire time. Why hadn't Regal sent any kind of message to the wedding party ahead of time to warn them that the mountain people liked to play Undercover Boss? No, Regal had just texted to remind them to bring his Gucci underwear, the dick.

Jonqui drags Fitz over to meet Kettricken and Rurisk. "Kids, this is Pull-Out Fail Farseer," she says. "Now you go run along and play, and be back when the streetlights come on."

"Yes, in our language we call him 'The Bastard' because he sucks," August chimes in helpfully. Rurisk glares at him.

"Pull-Out Fail," Rurisk says. "I knew your father. And I spoke with him, on the day that he'd learned that he'd knocked up one of our people. He was a good man."

"This joke is getting kind of old," Fitz says. "Listen, my name is Fitzchivalry--"

"Oh, Fitzchivalry Farseer?" Kettricken brightens. "You poison people, right? Regal told me all about you and how you run around with Lady Thyme murdering people in the Six Duchies. It's so good to finally meet you!"

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," Fitz replies articulately.

"Come on," Kettricken says excitedly, "let's go to the herb garden. I heard you like herbs."

On the way out to the herb garden, Fitz forgets that Kettricken knows he's an assassin and notices she has boobs, because he's fourteen. Together they get enthused about plants and shit, and they take a stroll around the herbs.

"Taste this one, it's really weird," Kettricken says. "... What's that thudding noise? With a jingle? It sounds like someone's court jester is banging their head against a wall."

"I hear that a lot," Fitz shrugs. "I usually just ignore it. You said to eat this plant I've never heard of? Mm, spicy!"

"So," Kettricken asks as she stops a speeding train with one muscular arm, "what's my future husband like? Shift Manager Regal told me that he's really old and nasty and that he just sits in a recliner watching Fox News all day."

"He's thirty two," Fitz tells her, mentally adding a dick to the big ol' bag that he wishes Regal would eat. "Verity is super nice, and funny, and he has fun hobbies and he likes animals. He's really handsome, too, he has gorgeous black hair and shining eyes and big broad shoulders and a really nice ass--"

"So Shift Manager Regal lied to me." Kettricken frowns, biting her lip. "Does he lie about a lot of things?"

"They hang people in my country for having an opinion on that," Fitz says.

"Regal was six Jagerbombs deep one night and told me all about how you loved sneaking around and killing people," Kettricken confesses. "He said that if you showed up with the wedding party, it meant that you were here to poison my brother to get him out of the way and make me the heir to the mountains."

"What haha that's weird what a weird thing to say haha," Fitz stammers, foaming at the mouth.

Rurisk and Jonqui come running down the path to fetch Kettricken, telling her that there's a thing at the thing she has to do, remember that thing? And Fitz smiles and waves bye to them and then walks happily back to his room in the tree-palace and starts frantically digging through his stuff for the Pepto Bismol the Fool gave him.

Rurisk bursts into the room at five the next morning, waving a bottle of Mountain Bismol. "Pull-Out Fail, are you still alive?!"

"I wish I wasn't," Fitz moans, face pressed against the rug. "Get away from me with that."

"He's not dead, no thanks to you," Rurisk says, glaring at Kettricken as she peeks into the doorway wearing footie pajamas. "Go get us some breakfast, and don't fucking poison it!"

Fitz tries to stand up and faceplants on the bed. "Stop making the floor move."

"Someone told Kettricken you were here to kill me," Rurisk explains. "I told her not to worry about it, but she thought it'd be a good idea to trick you into eating what we call Fentanyl Flowers and then not tell me about it until fifteen minutes ago."

Kettricken comes back into the room with donuts and coffee. Rurisk breaks a donut into three pieces, giving each of them a piece. "And if this is poisoned, you've killed us all," he warns.

"Oh my god, that was one time," Kettricken whines.

"Listen, Pull-Out Fail," Rurisk says earnestly. "My little dinky mountain kingdom needs the space for farmland down on your big prairies. We need cool stuff from the town that the Liveship Traders books take place in. We need a beach for our college students to go to on Spring Break. So I'm willing to give you ethically sourced furs, good lumber for warships, and my hot little sister as trade."

Fitz pauses with a donut halfway to his mouth. "What do you mean, 'ethically sourced furs'?"

"We shave bears. It's not important right now. What is important is that you don't have to kill me to get me out of the way, because I'm on YOUR side. Do you get me?"

"I get you," Fitz nods.

"Good. Now I'm going the fuck back to bed. Kettricken, don't poison anybody on the way back to your room."

"If you don't stop I'm gonna tell DAD--"

Fitz lays back on the bed. He closes his eyes and wonders if communism should be a thing. Then he thinks, no, having a monarchy is definitely a good idea. What could go wrong with having a ruling class of divine-right royalty who are constantly murdering each other for the throne? And surely there's no drawback to having a Prince that's an evil little shit who commits crimes against humanity with no fear of punishment or reprisal.

Yeah. Kings are the best.

The next day Rurisk invites Fitz out to the dog kennels. Fitz loves dogs! Then they turn a corner to find a very old hound dog whose jowls, ears, belly and tail are all dragging on the ground as he waddles up to them, and the music swells as Fitz cries "Nosy!!" and kneels down to hug him.

"That's my loyal old hound dog," Rurisk says. "Burrich the stablemaster sent him to me in a little basket with a bow on it years ago."

"I had a socially unnacceptable soul-bond with this dog," Fitz explains.

"Gross," Rurisk smiles. "Anyway, I gotta go do Prince stuff. Smell you later."

Fitz immediately goes to find Burrich, who is in the Big Turnip presenting a horse to Kettricken as a wedding present. Cob--

Wait, there's a note here. It says, "Cob is the stable boy that Fitz and Nosy met when they first came to Buckkeep." There's a piece of straw taped to it.

Cob is there too, and he makes sure to give Fitz the middle finger as he approaches.

"Burrich, I need to talk to you," Fitz says. "I just found out you didn't kill Nosy when I was little."

Burrich stops what he's doing and turns slowly to stare at him. "I'm sorry, you thought I killed a puppy? Jesus, no wonder you were so twitchy as a kid."

"But you didn't kill a puppy," Fitz says. "And we can still be friends."

"You thought I was a monster who would [BUILD A ROCKET SHIP SO THAT AN ANIMAL COULD RETURN TO ITS HOME PLANET] if I'd found out you'd bonded with it, but you turned around and bonded with another fucking puppy," Burrich growls. "Which I told you is nasty, so no, we can't be friends."

Fitz drags himself sadly back to the Big Turnip.

That night, Fitz is getting ready for bed when Regal's servant turns up at his door. "Hey fuckwad, Prince Regal wants to talk to you," he says, and drags Fitz by the wrist up to Regal's royal Regal room.

Regal is chilling in his chambers doing epic bong rips out of the skull of a dead orphan, like not a dirty street urchin, but specifically an adorable little ragamuffin with soot on their little tophat that flew off comically when Regal took them out from five hundred yards away with a sniper rifle. "What's up, DICKchivalry," he sneers, then high-fives one of his minions.

"Hi," Fitz says, forcing a smile.

"Have you gotten around to murdering Prince Rurisk yet?" Regal coughs.

"Uh."

"Uh," Regal says mockingly. "God, you're stupid. Isn't he stupid, minion who has no business hearing any of this?"

"Absolutely idiotic, my Prince."

"Prince Rurisk said he's on our side," Fitz says, "and that he wants us to have the lumber we need and his sister and everything. I figured maybe it'd be better to like, not kill him."

"Alright, since you're too dumb to plan an assassination, I'll figure it out for you," Regal says as his minion loads another bowl. "I want him graveyard dead before the wedding so he doesn't stand next to me and make me look short. Now fuck off."

Fitz fucks off with many a backward glance, wondering what the fuck he's supposed to do now. There's no signal in the mountains so he can't send a message to Chade or King Shrewd to tell him that Rurisk is cool actually, and even though Regal sucks, like, REALLY sucks, he IS a Prince and Fitz is a tool of the Crown so he does technically have to follow orders.

What the fuck is Regal's problem? Fitz thinks while brushing his teeth the next morning. Why did he tell Kettricken that I'm an assassin? Why does he want Rurisk dead so bad when Ru-Dawg is on our side? Gosh, I wish I could talk to Chade or Verity or Grandpa Shrewd or literally anyone, but they're so far away, and--

Oh right, the Skill.

"AUGUST," Fitz pants, sneakers squeaking as he skids to a halt in front of his cousin. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Look: do you see this silver pin, with the ruby in it? King Shrewd gave this to me when I was nine and sitting under a table eating leftover pies. The Fool and Regal were there too, and there were some puppies, and King Shrewd knelt down and gave me the pin and told me that if I ever needed to talk to him, I could just show this pin at his door and he'd let me talk to him, no matter what, and there's something really important going on so I need you to send a Skill message to him right now."

August looks at him for a minute. "No," he says finally, and turns to leave.

Fitz grabs his sleeve. "August you HAVE to let me talk to Shrewd, there are LIVES at stake!"

"Okay fine, jeez," August says, shaking him off. "I'll get Shrewd on the line."

"Great! Great. Okay. Tell him, uh." Fitz takes a deep breath. "Tell him Prince Rurisk is doing great and I don't think we should kill hi-- uhhhhhhhhh, I mean GIVE him the PRESENT that we were going to POISON him with."

"You're such a fucking spaz," August mutters, closing his eyes to make a Skill Call. Then he shrugs. "It went straight to voicemail."

"Redial," Fitz says desperately.

"No, I've got important cousin shit to do, including telling Regal that you just tried to get me to dial long distance to talk to the King." August walks across the palace to talk to Regal, but the Prince is high as fuck and doesn't care.

Fitz leans against the wall and makes a thinky face. "Maybe I could kill Regal," he says for what will be the first of several hundred times. "Eh, probably not worth it."

That night, Regal's minion gives Fitz a little secret packet of horrible deadly poison. "Regal gave me this to give to you to give to Prince Rurisk," he says. "Put it in his drink and make it look like an accident."

"Did King Shrewd send me here as some kind of complicated political maneuver where I would kill Rurisk and then be publicly hanged for murder so no one would find out that we killed Rurisk for political gain?" Fitz asks.

"Take the fucking accident powder," the minion snaps.

Fitz walks through the Big Onion to Kettricken's door, where he knocks and tells her that he's going to kill her brother. Then he goes to Rurisk's room, with Kettricken following behind. He sits down at Rurisk's table and dumps the accident powder into a glass of wine while Rurisk watches. Then they both drink from a different glass.

"Kind of sucks that Shift Manager Regal told everyone you're an assassin, Pull-Out Fail," Rurisk says. "You wanna hang out here in the mountain kingdom so you don't end up at the bottom of a lake with your feet encased in concrete?"

"Maybe," Fitz says. "I think somebody's supposed to catch me in the act of killing you just now, will you let them in?"

Cob bursts in the door. "Caught you red handed poisoning the Prin-- OH FUCK KETTRICKEN YOU DIDN'T DRINK THAT WINE DID YOU??"

"No, why?"

Rurisk falls over dead.

"Wait, why is he dead, we both drank from the same gl-- wow, I do NOT feel so great," Fitz says, foaming at the mouth again.

Cob grabs him. "I sent Smithy to space," he grins.

"Yeah, well I have a poisoned knife," Fitz replies, stabbing him with it.

"Sweet mountain Jesus, someone stop him, he's killing everyone!" Kettricken yells, then realizes she's holding a heavy metal object and beans Fitz in the head with it.

Fitz wakes up in the stables outside the Big Onion with Regal already monologuing over him. "I wanted you dead because you and Lady Thyme poisoned my mother!"

"Queen Desire, Shrewd's second queen who died at some point in this book but Fitz literally cared so little that he didn't even mention it," says a nearby hay bale.

"Thank you, hay bale," Regal says. "You thought I didn't know you poisoned her, but I DID know! I also know that you were using Burrich to Skill, but as soon as I had Cob stab him you were forced to stop. I knew ALL of these things!"

"Glag," Fitz says, concussed. Then he closes his eyes, and suddenly he can Skill.

"Hi, Prince Regal," Galen the Skillmaster says. "Are you ready for me to Skill-Kill Prince Verity during the wedding so you can marry Kettricken and be King-in-Waiting?"

"Ugh, but she looks like a Soviet Union propaganda poster," Regal moans.

"Suck it up," Galen says, hitting 'end call.'

Fitz is still laying on his face in the stables. Nosy noses in and ambles over to drool on him, then bites through the ropes Fitz is tied up with. Burrich shows up next.

"You have the Wit," Fitz tries to say, but he's still suffering poison damage and the 'hit in the head' debuff, so it comes out as "Glaggaglah."

"I'm in the closet," Burrich says. "Did King Shrewd turn you into a baby assassin?"

"Glag," Fitz confirms sadly.

Burrich looks back at him, then does a double-take. "Where the fuck did you get that collar that says 'DADDY' on it?" he demands.

"Patience glave it to me."

"I cannot fucking believe this," Burrich mutters, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That's the collar that I gave to your dad."

Fitz looks at him.

"You gave it to Prince Chivalry when he found out about me," Fitz says. "That's why it says 'DADDY,' because that's when he found out he was a father."

"Sure, we'll go with that," Burrich says queerly.

Jonqui, King Eyod's sister, clips through the wall while T-posing. "Come back to the Big Onion," she says. "Kettricken has forgiven you for poisoning her brother. Which I know you didn't do."

They drag Fitz back to his rooms at the Big Onion. While Fitz is trying to remember how to drink water, August shows up at the door. "Verity called," he says boredly. "He said, uh, be loyal to who's loyal to you, or something. Also all of Regal's servants died mysteriously and he wants you to go to the hot springs to help him bathe."

"I do not want to see Regal naked," Fi tz protests, but goes anyway.

Regal's sitting in a hot tub drinking an evil martini when Fitz and Burrich arrive. "Ah, there you are," Regal says. "Hulking Manservant, bang Burrich over the head."

Burrich goes down. Fitz yells timber. Regal drags Fitz over to another hot tub, ignoring the sign that says 'WARNING: DO NOT USE THIS HOT TUB IF YOU HAVE BEEN RECENTLY BETRAYED BY YOUR EVIL UNCLE' and throws him in.

"And that's that," Regal says happily, dusting off his hands, and leaves.

Fitz, flailing around in the water being hot tubbed to death, can suddenly Skill (again). This is great! He Skills joyously. Skilling is rad! I'm gonna call everyone! Hey Verity! VERITY! ... Verity?

"Dearly Beloved..."

The Fool looks up from his Adult Coloring Book. "Hm?"

"We are gathered here today to join these two second bananas in holy matrimony. Do you, Prince Verity..."

Verity! Fitz Skill-yells. Look out!! Skillmaster Galen is standing behind you about to pull a Skill Dracula on you and suck out all your, uh, Skill! That's a thing that can happen apparently!

I am actually Queen Desire's bastard son and Prince Regal's half brother! Galen Skills evilly. I'm pretty sure there's no member of the Farseer reign that HASN'T either sired or given birth to a bastard! Like seriously, as a family we legit just cannot keep our pants on. ANYWAY! I have been conspiring to kill Verity and put Regal on the thro-- oh okay apparently you can just straight kill someone with the Skill too, who knew.

Galen collapses, Skill-dead.

AUGUST, Verity Skill-megaphones into August the Skill-cousin's ear. PUT THE KRAKEN ON THE LINE SO I CAN TELL HER IT WASN'T ME WHO PLOTTED TO KILL PRINCE RURISK. AND ALSO THAT I RESPECT HER AS A PERSON AND WILL GREET HER WHEN SHE ARRIVES AT BUCKKEEP WITH A FIRM HANDSHAKE AND A MANLY NOD.

August's head explodes.

~epilogue~

Fitz and Burrich are later found in a wet, unconscious pile in the steams. Fitz has puncture marks in his wrist from where Nosy pulled him out of his hot tub tomb before climbing into his rocketship and flying back to his home planet.

Though neither of them are dead, Burrich has conveniently forgotten that Fitz is a baby assassin, and Fitz probably can't be a baby assassin anymore because he has about thirty seizures a day due to being poisoned and then poisoned again and then blugeoned and kicked and drowned all in the space of like thirty minutes.

They spend a long time recovering in Jhaampe, even after Kettricken and Regal (remember him? he's still alive) go down to Buckkeep. Burrich tells Fitz that they're friends again and that he'll go wherever Fitz goes because he's wearing the 'DADDY' collar. Fitz says, "Because you... view me as a parental figure? I guess?"

Burrich replies, "Sure. We'll go with that." NEXT TIME, ON DRAGON BOOK Z: Fitz has his Hot Girl Summer, immediately followed by his Shit’s Wack Winter, in ROYAL ASSASSIN ABRIDGED!

#rote #assassin's apprentice #farseer trilogy #fitzchivalry farseer #robin hobb #aa abridged #farseer trilogy abridged

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zentraex · 1 year

Text

Chapter 1 - Bad Luck

-> Masterlist

"Isn't it obvious, that he is using you?"

The room falls suddenly eerily still, as I blurted out my remark. Huh? Didn't anybody see it, the way I did? Am I the only one with this opinion?

"What did you just say?" Megan asks, who is head over heels into her new boyfriend. "You are really thinking, I am so dumb and let somebody use me, Reader?"

Excuse me?

"I never claimed that!" I defend myself, as I can feel my body seething with dismay.

Then Jessica speaks up, who supports Megan, then Fiona and lastly, Julie. All of them are outvoting me together, and then the fight just really starts: one insult here and many evil glances there. The hangover I was looking forward, reveals itself as a disaster.

Slowly but surely, big fat water drops are blocking my view, as I get verbally beat up by my so called friends. But why exactly? I was always kind, supported them with all my might. Sure, it often looked, as if they were excluding me, but I tried so hard to be one of them! Were my efforts not enough?

"Out with you Reader! I never want to see your ugly face ever again! I tolerated you for so long, but I can't stand you anymore! GOD! I'm so sick of you!"

And then the first tear runs down my check and the next follows. My feet are moving myself out of the house ,as if on autopilot. The laugher in the house is loud and clearly to hear, even as I close the door behind me.

Why is it hurting so much!?

Why should I sit here, in front of their door, and cry in the dark? Should't I be glad? My efforts were for nothing anyway. It is finally over! Stop crying! Be strong! You are finding much better friends.

But it doesn't matter, how good these motivational words sound, that sting in my heart and that overwhelming feeling of sorrow is not stopping. Only when I hear voices of a group full of men, just a few blocks further away, everything in me halts.

My eyes widen, as I start realize how late, and how dangerous it is for me, to sit here all by myself. My heart starts to pound rapidly against my thorax, as the group of men comes into my view.

Shit!

Without a second thought: I speed walk.

Run, Reader! Run!

Mother always told me, that I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I can't be blamed when my morals are overshadowed by my instincts! These guys behind me, are no good. I can clearly tell that by their laugher.

"Sugar! What's the rush?"

"Look! A mini rock! She shouldn't wonder, when we loose control!"

Again, laugher. Again, a step faster. Again, the voices are getting louder.

Help!

As I turn around a corner, a person comes into my field of vision: black hoodie, black sweatpants, red shoes. Should I burden them with my problems?

Yes! I need help!

Usually, I wouldn't. But as I was about to change my mind, I find myself in front of the person already, my hand on their shoulder and my words, begging for help, pour out of my mouth.

"Please help me! They're some strangers after me, and I can't get rid of them."

In the corner of my eyes are big heavy water drops, which are treating to run down my face, as I heard those guys whistle again. The person remains still, as he leads his hand to his throat and starts scratching.

"Look how you can deal with your problems alone, and don't bother others. I have enough on my mind and I couldn't care less helping a slut like you," he answers, his voice hoarse with a annoyed undertone. Then he slaps my hand away and continues walking.

And then they roll - the tears, I tried to hold back. What have I done to deserve this today?

"Please! My day is already bad enough. I will pay you back somehow! I promise!"

Then those guys are appearing behind me.

"Are you bothering other people now, doll? Come here and we promise, it will be fast," says one of them and the others laugh. A lot of them are holding empty bottles.

"And you over there, you weirdo, didn't see anything, okay?"

Totally terrified, I give the group one last look, before I gather all my energy, and sprint past the hooded person.

...

So the plan, but the stranger holds my arm firmly. His grip is strong, even though he keeps one finger in the air. When I wanted to look at him confused, I stare in blood red eyes. He wears a lot of wrinkles around them, although the right eye is decorated by a scar. His lips are cracked and dry, and have a scar on the left side as well. There is light blue hair hanging out of his hood. If he wouldn't look at me so pissed, I would think that he is beautiful. Doesn't matter, if he has some problems with skin care.

"People in groups tend to have a big mouth. But on they own, they are nothing more than stray dogs, begging for attention. Should I demonstrate you, where you really stand?" he says, as he turns his head to the group of men. "Hmm? Sounds good, don't you think?"

Now he starts grinning wickedly to himself, while the other group is cackling and giggling.

What a weird guy...

"What wants a leek like you wanna do?" the one guy asks, while holding his stomach, but it doesn't take long and his laugh turns into screaming. His whole body turns into ash.

Then everything becomes silent and all I hear is my heart, which beats vigorous in me. I am rubbing my eyes to make sure, that the stranger killed the guy with one touch. I only blinked twice and the hooded person wasn't next to me anymore, but by the group.

"Hey! Calm down, buddy! You are not the person we wanted to fuck!" another person tries to safe their situation, but turns into dust just like the other.

"Next one?", the men with his deadly quirk asks. His smirk and bloodlust soaked gaze did't leave his face a second. The group of men isn't even answering anymore and runs away.

#yandere tomura #female reader #male x female #shigaraki #tomura shigaraki #yandere #yandere shigaraki #bnha #mha #my hero acadamy

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ttuesday · 2 years

Note

Hello I'm sorry, but can you make a post of how the VDL boys would react to you coming out as gay? Maybe including Trelawney, Lenny, Hosea and Keiran? Sorry, and I know you do him everytime, but Arthur as well? Sorry

Happy pride month anon!

Arthur

Arthur could tell something heavy was playing on your mind. He’s anxious, unsure what you’re going to say but Arthur stays quiet and listens openly to everything you want to say to him.

He doesn’t judge you, I mean, you think Arthur hasn’t had his fair share of crushes on men? Although there’s a lot of information he doesn’t know and no one’s path to their sexuality is the same, Arthur feels as though he can relate to you even if it’s just a little bit. The first thing he says in response is that he’s always going to support you unconditionally and that he’ll always want you to be happy, no matter who that’s with.

In the weeks after you come out to Arthur, he spends more time with you just so you confidently know he doesn’t see you any differently and that he’s still going to be there for you. He also feels more protective over you, wanting to do his best to shield you from all the bad in the world.

Charles

Charles doesn’t see you being gay as a big deal but he understands how tough this is for you to do and how much courage it takes for you to openly tell him this. The first thing Charles does is instantly thank you for sharing such an intimate part of you with him.

No matter what, Charles is always going to be there to fully support and protect you. He doesn’t push you for any extra information nor does Charles ask many questions, wanting to respect the information you’ve given him without prodding you for more details.

And I mean, c’mon, do you reallllllly think Charles is completely and utterly straight? He understands some of your struggles so if you ever need to vent or a hug, he’s here for you.

Dutch

This isn’t a walk in the park but it’s not the worst reaction ever either. He has a lot of questions and so Dutch can very easily bombard you with these questions and come across as though he’s interrogating you. It’s not that he doesn’t accept you, this is just a lot for Dutch to take in and he genuinely didn’t expect to have this conversation with you when he first sat down.

Once he takes a step back and realizes he’s overwhelming you with questions, he pauses for a moment. After a few seconds of silence, Dutch wraps his arms around you and pulls you into a warm hug. He doesn’t speak, instead opting to hold you close.

Dutch will always be there for you, sure he may get pissed off when you doubt him or favour Hosea’s plan over his but that’ll never make him stop caring about you, and neither will this. It might take him a while for it to fully sink in but he’ll still be there for you always.

John

He has no idea what to say or how to react. Of course John doesn’t think this is a bad thing or that you’re going to burn in hell, if anything he just doesn’t understand why you’re telling him.

He’s very quiet when you come out to him, mainly out of confusion but John soon starts to panic, scared you think his silence means he doesn’t accept you. Feeling self-conscious that he’s made everything awkward, John smiles and says “Congratulations?”.

He genuinely doesn’t know what the right way to react is but he’s got spirit. John can be awkward talking about most things so I wouldn’t take his reaction personally, especially because he will defend you in a moment’s instance if anyone ever gives you shit about your sexuality.

Javier

Javier can read you like a book so he knows when you’re nervous. Before you even say anything, Javier knows that this conversation means a lot and that this is something you’ve been holding in for a while now. And so he makes sure to pay careful attention and listen to your every word.

Right now, his main goal is to listen and to validate your feelings. He has a lot of questions about you coming out but he doesn’t think now is the time, preferring to ask you these questions over time and not suffocate you with them.

If there’s one thing Javier will never allow, it’s for you to feel isolated. He’s more conscious of keeping you included in things after you come out, whether it’s helping out on a robbery or simply sitting together while eating some stew. Javier wants you to feel welcomed and to remind you you’ll always be part of the family no matter what.

Sean

“You’re gay?!” While Sean’s reaction is dramatic, it’s not as if he’s about to ostracise you. This has just seriously taken him by surprise. “And you don’t mean happy? You mean like… the other gay? Like you’re gay gay?”. He won’t stop saying gay.

You need to explain this to him in very basic language. Sean thinks he knows what you mean, but he’s so surprised, he needs to hear you say it a few times to truly sink in. But the way he sees it, good for you, if that’s your cup of tea then woohoo.

He can be a little overbearing sometimes, whenever he has any inclination that someone else is gay, Sean alerts you straight away. He’s like that family relative that finds out you like Harry Potter when you're 12 and keeps showing you Harry Potter related things for the next 10 years. But his heart is in the right place.

Hosea

Hosea has a lot of feelings when you come out to him. He’ll be honest, he did not see this coming. Hosea’s stunned, slightly baffled but above all, he admires your courage to come out.

He isn’t sure what to say or react in the moment but be prepared to be fussed over in the coming weeks. He may have had a brain fart when you first told him but Hosea will protect you with his life.

He asks you at least twice a week if you’re ok or if anyone is giving you any hassle, prepared to deal with everyone and anyone who treats you badly. Seriously, if anyone ever hurts you or insults you over your sexuality, Hosea will unholster his gun without hesitation.

Trelawny

Josiah immediately starts asking you about your love life after you come out and if you need a wingman. This rolls off him like water on a duck’s back and now all he’s interested in is if you got your eye on anybody.

He promises not to mention it to the others and that if there’s anything he can do to help coming out to the others any easier, then he’ll help you in a heartbeat. But in your own time of course.

Although Trelawny may have a simple reaction, he knows this is a big deal for you and gives you a hug afterwards, saying he’s so proud of you for coming out and that he feels incredibly honoured that you trusted him with this knowledge.

Kieran

Kieran’s extremely worried. He can see the stress in your face, the tension seeping through your voice as you come out to him. But when you finally get the words out, Kieran breathes a sigh of relief.

Kieran’s mind went straight to the worst case scenario, assuming you're sick or in deep trouble. He doesn’t mean to sigh after you tell him and he quickly tries to explain how he’s just thankful there isn’t something bad happening to you and that you’re safe.

Kieran’s happy for you, saying how he hopes you didn’t feel as if you had to come out to him. He’s glad you feel comfortable enough to talk to him about stuff like this and now he hopes he can talk to you about his own sexuality too.

Lenny

Lenny listens intently as you come out to him, holding your hand through it and giving you reassuring smiles each time the words get caught in your throat. Lenny knows what it’s like to be judged for who you are and it’s something he would never dream of doing to someone else.

Lenny reassures you that he’s always going to be your friend and that he would never ever judge you for something like this. Be prepared for many hugs too.

Afterwards, Lenny treats you like he always does. He becomes hyper aware of treating you the same, not wanting you to think you coming out to him will change anything between you both.

#ok I know I rambled on a bit with Sean’s #but if you have a relative like that then you should hopefully understand exactly what I mean #anywhoosies hope these are ok!#headcanons #writings #rdr2 #arthur morgan #charles smith #dutch van der linde #john marston #javier escuella #sean macguire #hosea mathews #josiah trelawny #kieran duffy #lenny summers #happy pride 🌈

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bafflement · 9 months

Text

Deaged Oz AU: Presents And Surprises

"I'm sorry, okay?" Tip sounded annoyed. "I might be the wizard, but I'm only eleven... I do not, in fact, know everything."

"We know that, Winter. However, surely you have some insight as to what they might do next?"

Tip sighed, pushing the report he'd carefully transcribed over to them. "If the pattern holds, they might follow what I wrote. But people can be unpredictable and this isn't really my job? They're your criminals and you appear to be more used to their antics than myself. I appreciate being asked for advice, but..." he shrugged, looking a bit helpless. "I don't really know the intricacies of how things work in Atlas. You do. Follow the report or don't, I've tried my best."

The council looked unhappy, but it was quickly obvious that they'd get nothing more out of Tip today. He had a point and they did have to admit it, however the fact that Winter was their version of the wizard meant that they were starting to push issues.

"You are Atlasian, though, Winter. You need to know how things work here, you're ours."

"No, I'm not. I do not remember being Winter Schnee, not really. I'm Tip, but... I do not belong to you. As the wizard, I don't think I actually can?" He sounded doubtful, even as Ozymandias cheered him on in the back of his head.

"Well, if we have more questions, we'll call you back. However, depending on the status of the report... you're free to go, Winter. Thank you for your help in the matter."

Stepping out of the room, Tip met up with Qrow and Winter, both of whom looked slightly worried at his obvious exhaustion.

"Ya okay, Pocketsized?" Qrow asked gently, reaching out and ruffling his hair. Tip leaned into the touch slightly even as he rolled his eyes.

"I'll be just fine, Qrow. I just... wish that they would stop asking for my help on matters that I have no real knowledge of. i appreciate that Atlas has a crime problem, but that isn't really in my jurisdiction anymore and even if it was... Atlas is not my kingdom."

Winter made a noise of disagreement and got a tired glare for her trouble. "It really, truly isn't. It may have been, once... but I'm from Vale, Winter."

"You're from Atlas, uncle. Vale stole you, but you're ours."

"I may be a Schnee, Winter, but that does not mean that I belong to Atlas."

Winter sputtered. "That's not what I meant! You're ours, part of our family. You're not theirs. Even if saying that sounds..."

"It is okay, Winter, truly. I'm only eleven, hopefully by the time I grow up again, things might be better?"

"Tip... why do you think you're eleven?"

"Because I... am? I was born in September, Winter, I'm eleven..."

"Did you just not read your own records? You... you were born in December, uncle. You're still ten."

Tip blinked at that, looking briefly annoyed before shrugging.

"So even my birthday is wrong? I don't celebrate it, but still..."

"We'll do something about it this year, okay?"'

Tip looked like he wanted to say something, but he also knew a losing battle when he heard one.

"Your birthday's next month?" Oscar butted in, having joined them a minute or so earlier.

"Apparently? Why, Oscar?"

"Because you're my brother, Tip... of course we're celebrating. You'll be eleven, right?"

"Physically, yes."

"Awesome. We'll do something good, don't worry!"

Tip hoped for several days that the others would just forget, only to be tapped on the head while curled up reading. He looked up to see Winter with a suspiciously shaped box in her hands.

"What's this, Winter?"

"A gift. We missed too many of your birthdays, uncle and you needed something to defend yourself with."

"I... have things, though? I have The Long Memory, i have my rapier..."

"Yes, but they're not distance weapons..."

"Distance? Winter, this isn't a gun, is it? You know i don't like guns."

"Just keep it with you, alright? I think we'd all feel safer."

"I will. thank you Winter." He smiled at her, albeit strained and she grinned back, leaving him to his book.

Tip, sighing, pulled the thing out of the box, blinking down at the heavy, tightly sheathed dagger. it was definitely mechashift and he unsheathed it carefully, pointed towards the floor and pulled the lever. A second later, he was holding a pistol, looking just as uncomfortable as he felt. Shifting it back quickly, he resheathed it, shoving it deep into his bag so as to be technically carrying it. He really, really didn't like guns.

#deaged oz au #ozpin #winter schnee #qrow branwen #oscar pine #professor ozpin #rwby ozpin #headmaster ozpin #politics #presents #atlas council

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kasplonkable · 1 year

Text

Foxma HC's

I love these bitches so much. I've finished Gotham now and lemme just say... You know that scene (spoilers for season 5 from here I guess lmao) when Ed breaks into the GCPD and is going through the files, and Lucius catches him and pushes him back with a hand on his chest?? Yeah, I've been thinking about that scene a lot. This list breaks from canon a little bit (as in, it exists in a world where they would realistically date), but oh well. Enjoy :-)

I reckon they're one of those couples where people don't even realise they're dating until something obviously lovey-dovey happens

like, they'll be at a dinner party or something and one of them maybe gets a little too drunk and kisses the other, and everyone else is like "lol that's embarrassing, Lucius and Ed just kissed" and they're like "???yeah??? We've been dating for 3 years now???"

Like, between all the hand holding, and the sharing food and clothes, everyone just thought they were really friendly with each other (but in hindsight they probably should have guessed)

they have nights where they challenge each other at board games all night. Like, they'll cycle through about 15 games in one night, and have an ongoing tally of wins pinned up on the fridge

on their anniversary, they'll buy each other a new game to add to the tournament

predictably, if they ever watch a game show on TV, they'll race to answer the question first (but every now and then, Lucius lets Ed win just to see how excited he gets about it (Ed knows this of course, but he doesn't mind so much when Lucius looks at him like that))

because they're interested in the same sort of subjects, info dumping is always a fun time for both of them (even if it's unrelated, it's still fun)

while Ed's hanging up the washing, he'll listen to Lucius rant about the intricacies and beauty of biomechanics

and then while Lucius is cooking, he'll listen to Ed rant about epigenetics

This happens a lot though, with pretty much anything...

"so they've basically got a ton of chromosomes!! And there's this one fern that has the world record for having the most!! It's called the adder's tongue fern, or Ophioglossum reticulatum, and it has up to 1,440 chromosomes!!! That's way too many!!" "And what was this called again??" "Polyploidy!! Wait, I haven't even started on Oxytricha trifallax yet!! So basically-" *heart eyes*

Ed always forgets to carry his ear defenders around, so Lucius makes sure he has a spare pair in his bag just in case Ed needs them

Lucius likes to tinker with things when he's bored

one time, Ed came home to find him surrounded by a mixture of cogs and screws only to find that he'd taken apart their toaster

"it stopped working..."

"oh, okay!! Can you fix it?"

"Yeah! It was a fairly common problem, all I needed to do was- what? Why are you looking at me like that?"

*absolute heart eyes* "I just love you is all"

there are so many books and papers around their house that it could be mistaken for a library

well, it's like that right up until the moment Ed gets overstimulated by it all, and then Lucius helps him clean it until everywhere is spotless again (this usually happens late at night, leading to the two of them cleaning until 2 AM and they can finally both sleep)

their whole house is a mixture of dark wood and warm colours. It's really lovely when one comes back and can smell a home cooked meal wafting through the corridors. That's when it especially feels like home

They have a coat hanger by the door that is always overflowing with jackets. When it finally fell over, they both had to reevaluate how many coats they actually needed

one time Ed learn how to quilt so he gave Lucius a massive quilted blanket for his birthday. It was big enough to cover their bed and checked with reds and yellows and the occasional dark green. He loved it so much that it became a permanent fixture in their room

in the winter months, when their small flat can't keep out the Gotham cold, they'll bundle under the blankets and hold onto eachother until they fall asleep

there's not really a strict big spoon or little spoon, just two people clinging to eachother in a tangle of limbs

Lucius has one of those alarms where you have to solve a maths equation before it turns off. Normally Ed would love it, but not at 5 AM...

"nghh can you just turn it off already"

"give me a second, this one's a bit challenging... actually, I'm just going to grab some paper quickly-"

"can you at least taKE THE ALARM WITH YOU?!" Ed groans as he rolls over and tries to hide from the noise in his pillow

Lucius likes to go on runs early in the morning. He enjoys the fresh air and lack of people. That and the fact that Ed is only just waking up when he gets back, sleepily kissing him and handing him a warm cup of coffee with the promise of breakfast soon after

That being said, sometimes he'll go to get up for his run only to find Ed curled into his side. It's those mornings when he decides to snooze his alarm and spend another hour or so dozing next to the love of his life

they go on cute dates to their local museum, sometimes checking out the occasional lecture happening there

They enjoy comparing notes afterwards to see what parts each of them found most interesting

But sometimes if the lecture is boring (and it's rare for either of them to find a lecture boring) they'll forgo the academic notes, and instead send messages back and fourth across the desk

Ed always expects Lucius to throw the notes away afterwards, but he keeps them at the back of his notebook

This lecture is kind of boring. He's just ranting about Crayfish?

Yes, it is slightly strange. I think I heard him say something about invasive species, but honestly I drifted off about 10 minutes ago

Do you want to grab a Chinese after this?

Yeah sure! The usual place?

Obviously

...

Love you

I love you too

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theotherackerman · 8 months

Text

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: Any recognizable elements belong to Attack on Titan, Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, A Song of Ice and Fire

NOTES: CHECK THOSE TRIGGER WARNINGS! Reminder: Mikasa is grieving. Grief makes you do things you might not do otherwise. I hope this answers a good amount of your questions. Also a reminder that this is not a 1 to 1 on Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon. There will be major things and it does not follow the exact plot. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy all 33 google doc pages!

TRIGGER WARNING: Attempted suicide, war, vague references to trafficking, death on the page

CHAPTER TEN: THE END OF A DECADE BUT THE START OF AN AGE

Not many people thought of dragons as a comfort. Most found them to be terrifying.

The dragons were where Mikasa had received her most comfort.

Meadow had taken to following Mikasa and Kayda on their walks through the garden. The larger dragon flew overhead, keeping his watch.

When Mikasa finally felt strong enough to fly on Kayda again, Meadow had followed them into the sky.

“I have a feeling I know what Keiran’s last command was,” Levi replied one night over dinner.

Mikasa raised an eyebrow.

“Mīsagon tala,” Levi replied.”I would have given Vulcan the same command had I been in his position.”

Protect daughter or defend daughter was the likely translation.

“He should have done it himself,” Mikasa muttered under her breath.

Sasha rested a hand on Mikasa’s shoulder.

The guilt and anger had not left Mikasa.

The information her mother had given her had been useless to her.

Why did she need to know that her mother was a kinslayer?

Yui had readily sacrificed her son, her sister, and her husband.

For what?

To push the Tyburs back?

For how long?

What was to stop them from coming back?

What was she to do with the information her mother gave her?

Information that made little sense.

Her mother hadn’t spent much time with her when she was alive so why should Mikasa care about this woman? Why was she grieving someone who didn’t give enough of a fuck about her to even write her a damn letter after her mother left her here? After years of pushing Mikasa away, this was what her mother left with her. Something about songs and sacrifices. Fire and ice lashing from Mikasa’s body never to be seen again. No matter how many times Mikasa called upon it.

Useless.

Mikasa wished her mother would have left her nothing rather than riddles.

There was this sinking feeling that Yui had unleashed something inside of Mikasa. The blood, the kinslaying, that had been done in Mikasa’s name.

After pushing her food around her plate, Mikasa excused herself from the table.

Food wasn’t sitting right.

She wondered if it ever would again.

It was a few days later when Mikasa found herself alone in the library.

Something had drawn her there.

A book was open on one of the tables.

The Doom of Valyria was the title of the chapter.

A drawing of a volcano erupting took up most of the page.

Mikasa frowned as she began to read.

The Doom of Valyria was an event like no other.

First Valyria broke away from the continent, becoming its own island. Some say the blood magic harassed to allow the dragon riders to tame dragons caused this. In magic, there is give and take.

Few Houses fled from Valyrian due to most writing off a prophetic dream being nothing more than madness.

The Houses that fled from Valyrian ended up in the North of the Seven Kingdoms.

Mikasa turned the page to find out the next page of the book had been ripped out.

There were other Dragon Lord families in the North?

Who were they?

Who had ripped out the page?

Mikasa frowned as she began to flip through the book.

Blood Betrayal

Kinslaying is the worst sin a person can commit.

It derails the very law of nature and leads to grave consequences.

The Amethyst Empress was slew by her own brother, the Bloodstone Emperor. He was jealous of his sister’s crown and decided to take it instead for himself.

This ushered in the Long Night.

While this is not confirmed, one thing is known for sure.

Killing one’s own kin will lead to great and powerful magic that cannot be contained. It will mar one’s soul and should not be done for no other reason that it simply goes against nature. It is held as sacred as Guest Rights. One does not allow someone into their house only to slay them. One does not slay one’s kin.

The magic unleashed will be dark.

And magic will claim what it is owed.

Mikasa slammed the book shut, only to see the cover.

Notes IV:

Yui Azumibito

It took all of Mikasa’s power not to throw the book at the wall.

Why was she even here?

Then again, there wasn’t much she could do.

Sasha was in the forge.

Levi was in meetings with the minor houses.

Annie was helping load supplies to go to the Capitol.

When Mikasa had tried to help, she had been pushed away.

People citing her “illness” as the reason why.

Illness.

Right.

That’s what people had thought had happened to her.

“Mother, what did you do?” Mikasa asked herself as she picked the book up again. She opened the book up to a random page.

Azumbito and Ackerman families both come from old magic.

Though they are not the only ones.

The Jaeger family has strong ties to being skinchangers, specifically Wargs.

Wargs: a skinchanger who can enter the mind of a wolf or a dog.

The Jaeger family is also known to have Greenseers, experiencing prophetic dreams, also known as Greensight.

Only one in one thousand is a Skinchanger.

Only one in one thousand Skinchangers is a Greenseer.

Though it seems in recent years, the number has gone up. It is as if magic is preparing itself for a fight.

I have noticed that most descriptions of Greenseers state that they have bright green eyes.

The Ackerman family also has a history of prophetic dreams. They refer to these dreams as “dragon dreams.”

The original families in the Seven Kingdoms seemed to all have connections to some sort of skinchanging and elemental connection. I do not know what this means as magic has not been present in the Seven Kingdoms since something to do with a Stone Deceiver. Any information on this “Stone Deceiver” cannot be found.

Whatever it was has caused an unnatural balance in the Seven Kingdoms and I wonder how long this can go on until the magic fights back.

“How about you explain to me what you did instead of rambling on? None of this is helpful,” Mikasa said to no one specific as she turned the page.

Bloodmagic

Requires blood

“Oh. I would have never guessed. Bloodmagic requires blood,” Mikasa snorted before reading on.

and sacrifice.

It is considered the darkest of magic, the most powerful.

Azor Ashai plunged his sword into Nissa Nissa’s heart to create Lightbringer and end the Long Night.

The Dragonlords of Valyria used bloodmagic to bind their magic to them.

The Ackermans has a long history of using

The bottom of the page was torn.

Frustrated, Mikasa snatched the book up and stormed out of the library.

She walked straight into Levi’s office, thankfully no one else was in there beside Levi.

With all of her strength, she tossed the book at Levi’s head.

Without even looking, Levi dodged to the side.

“Why did you rip the pages out?” Mikasa demanded.

Levi looked up from his writing. “I didn’t rip any pages out. I don’t even know what you just hurled at my head besides its book.”

“It’s a book of my mother’s notes!”

Levi stood up and picked the book up from the ground. He looked at the cover before flipping through it.

“Oh. This. The pages were ripped out when I found it. I didn’t rip them out. In fact, the pages that would be helpful are the ones missing. If I had to guess, either your mother or Kenny tore them out. Now are you done throwing things?”

“No. I want to know what’s going on.”

“As would I. But apparently anyone who hasn’t had forty names days does not get to know. All I know is an ice sword was found. Tyburs may control the Others. That’s it. I know nothing else. Grisha is very tight-lipped about whatever it is and Kenny is even worse.”

“So am I just to accept the fact that I erupted into ice and fire? Will it happen again?”

“That’s what I went looking for answers for. There’s none.”

Mikasa sat down in the chair in front of Levi’s desk. “I’m tired of not knowing and just being expected to go along with whatever happens. Do you know how exhausting that is? I didn’t have a say in anything in my life. I had to stay here. I had to marry Zeke or Eren. I have to do all of these things for a woman who I don’t even know. A woman who did not care enough about me to tell me what happened to me, why it happened to me. I just have to accept it. Well, I can’t. I can’t sit here and pretend to be a princess anymore. I can’t do nothing anymore. What was I being trained for, if not to fight, to help?”

Levi sat back down in his chair. “I’m not stopping you from fighting. By all means, fly off to war. But know what choice you’re making. It isn’t easy to end someone’s life. It’s not like the tales. You’ll have to make that choice. You are entirely in charge of your life now. Kiyomi’s son has already ascended the throne. You’re not their princess anymore. So you can live with no regrets but make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. So fly off to war if glory is what you wish. You wouldn’t be the first Ackerman to do so. But do it for the right reasons. If you want to fight for something, maybe you should look at your betrothed.”

Mikasa’s hands curled into fists. “Why? He won’t fight for me.”

Levi reached into his desk and pulled out several pieces of parchment with a wax seal of a wolf on it. “These came today. Kenny dropped these off early this morning during a supply run, they’re from Eren.” He picked them up and held them out to Mikasa. “Looks like a letter for everyday since we sent word to the capitol that you were asleep, I’d say. I was going to give them to you once I was done with this letter.”

Mikasa took the letters from Levi, holding them in her lap. Eren was the last thing she needed to think about. She was already conflicted with feelings about her family. Now she had this. She stood from her chair. “I’m going for a flight on Kayda,” she said as she walked out of the room. She needed to clear her head. There was no room for that on the ground.

—--------------

CLANG!

Sasha was the only one in the forge while others took an afternoon break.

“Is that the sword for Mikasa?” Annie asked as she walked up.

Sasha looked up before nodding. “I’m finishing it now. I want her armed with Valyrian steel. Your daggers and sword are done if you want them.”

“I’ll wait until we all have them,” Annie replied with a shrug.

“Are you worried?”

Annie shrugged again. “I’ve killed before, I know you have as well. War doesn’t scare me.”

“Do you feel like we’re being kept in the dark?”

Annie nodded, “Not by Mikasa. Not on purpose. Everyone else…..I think they still see us as children.”

Sasha nodded in agreement.

Kayda roared as she flew overhead, Mikasa on her back. Meadow flew behind them but did not echo the roar.

“I don’t know if she should be flying so soon,” Sasha remarked.

“You can be the one to tell her that then,” Annie snorted.

“You’re right. I just worry,” Sasha said as she looked to the sky.

“I do too.”

—----------

How much sleep had Hange lately?

When was the last time they slept?

Kenny poked Hange in the shoulder with the end of his pipe as they nodded off during a war update. Hange sat up straighter.

Exhaustion would end up claiming them sooner or later.

—------------------------------------------

“Stop flinching,” Connie told Armin as he stitched up his shoulder.

“Sorry,” Armin muttered.

“You should be wearing armor if no one else is,” Connie said as he began the next stitch.

“I’m not wearing plate while the rest of you are in leather.”

“We’re replaceable.”

“Not to me.”

“Keep saying shit like that, Armin, and we will start to think you’re fond of us,” Reiner snorted from the chair next to him as Bertolt was stitching up Reiner’s back.

“How bad is it?” Armin asked Bertolt.

“It’s not bad. It doesn’t even hurt that bad,” Reiner answered as he chewed on willow bark.

“He’ll live. He shouldn’t see the front lines for a bit,” Bertolt reported. “Neither should Colt.”

“Where is Colt anyway?” Connie asked.

“Passed out in Zeke’s room.”

“We’ll put Colt on night duty to guard Eren. Reiner can guard Zeke. I’m sure Hange will agree,” Armin ordered.

“You’re not taking me off the frontline, Armin,” Reiner hissed.

“You’re lower rank than me, Reiner. I make the calls. I need less dead. Marco, Marcel, Hannah, Ruth, and Thomas.”

“Fine, but I’m not going to be happy about it,” Reiner asked as he pulled his tunic back on.

Armin snorted, “wouldn’t expect anything less.”

—---------------

After dinner, Mikasa had retired to her room, the letters still in the pocket of her dress.

She sat on her bed and pulled them out.

Taking a deep breath, she popped the seal on the first letter.

Mikasa,

I have heard you have fallen ill.

I hope you feel better soon.

-E

Well, that was kind.

She sat it to the side before opening the next letter.

Mikasa,

I hear that in addition to you being sick that you have lost your parents and brother. I offer my most sincere condolences. I cannot imagine what it is like to lose your entire family. Well, I suppose not your entire family. You still have Levi, Kenny, and Kuchel. I suppose soon you’ll have me. If you even want me. I’m sorry for how I’ve been. In my head, pushing you away was easier. Now the capitol is being attacked because of me. Not exactly because of me, I suppose. But things got worse with the Fritz Loyalists once I was crowned. My father will never admit it but I know it’s true. They didn’t care that he had a bastard, they cared that the bastard could be on the throne. Zeke has no interest in having children so I’m most likely to be heir. I don’t want that crown.

That’s the first time I’ve said…well written that.

This is me apologizing for the way I’ve acted towards you. I’m not very good with words. But I did it to protect you from my world.

I’m sorry.

-E

Mikasa sat the letter to the side before opening the next one.

Mikasa,

What was that last letter?

I’m glad I didn’t send it.

I hear you’re sick, they say.

You haven’t woken.

I’m worried.

-E

Mikasa shook her head. He was worried? He could just apologize and think everything was right between them?

He was just like her parents.

Never thinking of her feelings. He was only apologizing because he felt guilty. Not because he realized he had done something wrong. He didn’t care about that apparently. He only cared about his feelings.

She didn’t bother to open the others. She took them and shoved them into her bedside table.

There was so much anger in her right now.

Her parents, Eren, whoever had ripped the pages out of her mother’s book, they all made choices for her. They all wanted what they thought was best but never cared about Mikasa’s feelings.

It was all about them.

She wanted to scream, break things.

She was just so angry.

Fuck them.

Fuck them all.

Her hands tingled.

Looking down, Mikasa saw flames dancing across her knuckles. She frowned and blinked.

The flames were gone.

Had they even been there?

No.

She must just be tired.

—————

The sound of Kayda chewing on a deer was not one Mikasa liked. She looked over at the dragon who was eating the burnt animal.

Shaking her head, Mikasa returned to her mother’s journal.

Sadly, it was things Mikasa already knew.

More tales of the Long Night from other cultures.

Tales of an Ice Dragon who befriended a girl, a story Mikasa had heard from Kuchel many times when Mikasa was younger.

Turning the page, there were only three phrases.

The dragon must have three heads.

The promised heir.

A Song of Ice and Fire.

“Lovely more riddles,” Mikasa muttered as she leaned back against the bench.

Kayda looked up from her deer.

“Don’t suppose you know what the dragon must have three heads, the promised heir, and a song of ice and fire mean, do you?”

The dragon blinked and then went back to eating.

A roar echoed overhead.

The ground shook as Meadow joined them in the garden. He too had gone hunting. If Mikasa had to guess, that was a chard bull from a local farm that the dragon had in his talons.

“Levi is going to have to pay for that,” Mikasa told the dragon as she turned the page.

Meadow made eye contact with her, smoke coming out of his nose.

Mikasa laughed before returning to reading.

Skagos Sygerrik

Stone Deceiver

Rock Liar

Stone Liar

Rock Deceiver

None of this makes sense.

Location?

Spell?

Curse?

Person?

Mikasa looked up, sensing a pair of eyes on her. She looked around, trying to see if there was anyone.

She appeared completely alone besides the dragons.

Kayda lifted her head, also examining the area.

Meadow let out a low growl.

Mikasa closed her book.

Strange feelings were something not to be ignored so Mikasa made the choice to walked back to the castle.

—--------

It had taken some getting used to having a warm body next to Jean all night. It had been going on for almost a fortnight now.

He knew he needed to talk to her, figure out exactly what that meant.

Bells were tolling.

“Fuck,” he heard Pieck muttered. “Get up. We’re being called.”

Jean rolled over to see Pieck pulling on her tunic and pants.

“Get up!” She said as she pulled him to his feet.

His pants were being shoved at him.

“So we’re not going to talk about this then?” he asked as he pulled on his pants.

“War bells, Jean boy. War bells.”

“Fuck,” Jean muttered as he dashed over to his room.

She was right.

—-------------

It was the middle of the night.

They were being attacked in the middle of the night.

The bells pulled Eren from his bed.

“Get back in there,” Colt had hissed at Eren when poked his head out into the hallway.

“What’s going on?”

“If I knew, I’d tell you.”

Eren narrowed his eyes.

No, Colt wouldn’t.

Eren went back into his room, sitting back down on his bed.

Midnight didn’t make a sound. He just sat on his perch, watching, observing.

Fenrir sat on the bed next to Eren on full alert.

Eren would be safe.

—-------------

Seaflames echoed a roar before releasing her flames.

At this rate, Grisha was going to be King of Ashes.

But what choice did he have?

Dina and Carla were getting as many servants into the underground tunnels as possible while Kuchel and Kenny rode their dragons into battle.

The rebels were not in the castle but Grisha wasn’t going to give them that chance. He pulled his sword from his belt and charged into battle with Valkyrja at his side.

He would not sit while others defended his kingdom a moment longer.

They would survive the night, even if he had to kill every person out there himself.

—---------

Smoke was drifting up from the ground and into Mikasa’s bedroom window.

“We’ve been attacked,” Levi announced as he came billowing into Mikasa’s bedroom, already dressed in his leather armor.. “They’ve set fire to several of the minor houses.”

“What do you need from me?” Mikasa asked as she got out of bed.

“Be on standby. Vulcan and I should be able to take care of this. If things get bad, I’ll need you and Kayda. You remember the command?” he asked as he double checked his sword.

Mikasa nodded.

“Good. I’ll return. Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone,” he warned her before he left the room.

Mikasa dressed in her leathers quickly. Sasha and Annie came charging into her room, dressed in their armor.

“What do you need from us?” Annie asked.

“Guard the castle. Keep the servants safe. Sasha, take to the tower. You’ll have a better vantage point from there,” Mikasa commanded as she shoved her daggers into the sheaths on her legs. She fastened her sword inside its scabbard to run along her spine.

“I’ll finish your sword soon,”Sasha noted.

“It’s fine. I’ll be on Kayda. I doubt I’ll need it much anyway. Stay safe,” Mikasa ordered as she left her bedroom.

All three women went their separate ways.

Vulcan could be heard letting out a roar as he fled towards the fire.

The courtyard was chaotic, everyone running which way.

The knights barking out orders.

No one paid any attention as Mikasa ran towards Kayda.

She wondered if Meadow would follow her into battle. She had not tried to command the male dragon, though the thought crossed her mind.

Stopping to figure out where exactly Kayda was, a cold metal blade was against her throat.

“There you are. If you scream, I will kill you. But before I kill you, I will do horrible things to you,” a voice whispered into her ear.

Not thinking, Mikasa ran an elbow into her assailant’s stomach.

The man caught off guard, stumbled.

“I told you the bitch knew how to fight!” another man called out.

She saw there were at least ten men surrounding her.

Pulling her sword from her back, Mikasa stood up straight.

“We can always send her back to the prince in pieces,” the man chuckled.

They were all dressed in royal armor and helmets.

She had heard armor had been stolen from the capitol. This was that armor.

Charging at the one in front of her, Mikasa swiped her sword, knocking that man to the ground. She threw her elbow into the one who rushed at her from the right side. But the one on her left, she missed.

Tumbling to the ground, Mikasa lost hold on her sword. One of the men tried to climb on top of her but Mikasa was faster with the dagger. She ran along where the metal armor spilt above his breeches, cutting his stomach open.

She pushed the body off of her as two men grabbed both of her arms.

She trashed to try and get rid of their hold.

“Skoriot?” the raspy voice echoed in her head just as it had the night she erupted. Where? It asked.

She couldn’t answer as two hands jerked her shoulders. She let out a scream. She kicked but two men grabbed her legs.

“We’ve got her,” the man who had put the knife to her throat replied. He leaned down, running a finger down her face. “Scarred but still pretty. We’ll ransom you to that bastard prince and then we’ll sell you to someone else. You know how much a girl like you goes for? Or maybe I’ll just send you back in pieces.”

The men laughed as Mikasa thrashed again.

“No one’s going to save you,” the man laughed. “Bind her hands and feet. Then we’ll get her out of here. Don’t touch her. No one is to touch here.

The ground shook.

Kayda came charging into the area. Immediately, the dragon grabbed one of the men who held Mikasa’s leg down by his head. Shaking the body, Kayda removed the man’s head from his body.

Mikasa used her other leg to kick the other man who held her other leg. The men holding her shoulders, let go of her and tried to get away.

A dark shadow flew in front of the moon, blocking it.

The green dragon landed, stopping the men from running.

Meadow let out a roar as Kadya circled around to the back of the men.

Mikasa sat on the ground, watching as the two dragons trapped the men.

Meadow looked over Kadya’s shoulder to Mikasa.

Knowing what had to be done, Mikasa said the one word she had hoped she would never have to use in this way.

“Dracarys,” she ordered.

Kayda and Meadow let out a stream of fire while the men screamed in pain.

Mikasa didn’t cower or cover her ears.

She just sat there until it was over.

Once the men were deceased, the two dragons prowled over to her.

Kayda nudged Mikasa with her head, getting under Mikasa’s shoulder, trying to get Mikasa to her feets.

Meadow watched, snorted smoke. Then he blocked her view of the bodies before he also started nudging her.

“Alright. I’ll get to my feet,” Mikasa replied as she stood up.

This was not a conversation she wanted to have with Levi.

—--------

Somehow Eren had drifted off to sleep again and drifted into a dream.

Flying through the sky to reach Mikasa.

The command of dragonfire.

Then Eren was being shaken awake.

Sunlight filtered in from the outside. It was early morning.

“Mikasa was attacked in the North,” Colt reported.

“What?” Eren asked as he threw the covers off. “Is she well? Is she hurt? Should I go there?” In a flurry, Eren began pulling his tunic and breeches on.

“She’s fine. Well, as fine as one can be. I don’t know much. I don’t think I’m supposed to know anything to be fair. Lord Ackerman spoke of it as he was going down the hall. He flew from The North to speak with the King,” Colt informed him. “But she is alive.”

“What’s happening here?”

“The King is speaking to Kuchel. They are discussing what’s to be done. The rebels are in the courtyard. I got moved in here with you to keep you safe. I’m to move you when I receive the command from Armin.”

Eren nodded. Midnight flew down and landed on his shoulder while Fenrir stayed asleep on the bed.

—-------------------------

“I will not be king of ashes, Kuchel!” Grisha roared as he stood from his chair.

Zeke sat in his chair, drinking whatever awful wine that his father kept was. Levi leaned up against the wall while Kenny sat in the chair in front of Grisha’s desk.

“They attacked my House, Grisha! I demand justice. I demand justice in blood,” Kuchel growled as she prowled forward and knocked the chair she had been sitting in over.

“And I demand my people be safe!” Grisha screamed.

“Do it,” Carla said from her seat on one side of Grisha.

Everyone in the room looked towards her.

“What?” Dina asked.

“Do it. Kuchel, go out there and burn every rebel you find. That’s an order from the Queen,” Carla said as she stood.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” Grisha asked her.

“Being a Queen. I am tired of watching our son’s friends die. Now Mikasa has been attacked? Because of what? We weren’t married before Eren was born? I’m tired, Grisha.”

“So we just kill anyone who doesn’t agree with us!” Grisha threw his hands up.

“You did it first,” Dina challenged.

“No, I did it because they took you,” Grish said as he turned towards his other wife sitting in a chair.

“And after you won, you got rid of those who didn’t support you. What is the point, Grisha? What do we win? I think he is right. We take our people, we go North. We go home. Let them have the damn capitol. The North can stand on its own.”

Grisha shook his head.

“Is that throne worth it? Is it? Because there are more important things going on. We would be safe in the North. Or we were. Until this happened.”

“They were in your armor. That’s how they got through. No one questioned them,” Levi reported.

“I won’t run. That’s final,” Grisha stated.

“Then you are a fool,” Dina said as she stood.

“They tried to kill Mikasa!” Levi pushed off of the wall and watched towards Grisha. “My heir. Your son’s betrothed. The only reason the Ten Kingdoms will not break their trade and support is because of her. The dragons burnt the attackers. They died screaming. I don’t feel a bit sorry for them.”

“It’s gone too far, Grisha,” Kenny reported.

“I think you’re forgetting your place,” Grisha stood straighter.

Zeke ripped the crown off of his father’s head and tossed it across the room.

Everyone fell still.

Grisha started at Zeke.

“Eren doesn’t want the throne. I do not want the throne. I do not care about some fucking chair made from dragon fire and swords. They’ve attacked the North. The North. No one has been stupid enough to do that. They’re getting bold. And now we will all suffer because you let your pride take control,” Zeke stared at his father down.

“There is more going on than you could ever understand,” Grisha replied.

“You could try explaining it to me instead of keeping me in the dark! I’m your heir and half the time, you act like I do not exist. I never wanted this! I never wanted to be a prince, to be paraded around to different women for a political alliance. I told you Eren should have married Mikasa once we were in the North. I told you neither of us had any desire to take the throne. But you did not listen. You never listen! You know I envy Levi because a dead father is better than one who is a king. I don’t have a father, I have that fucking crown.” Zeke stormed out of the room, slamming the down behind him.

The wall shook.

No one moved.

No one said anything.

Time passed slowly as everyone was frozen in time.

“Kuchel, do what you need to,” Dina spoke.

Kuchel nodded before she left the room.

“I’ll go check on our son,” Dina dismissed herself from the room.

Carla looked at Grisha before following Dina out.

“I’ll go out to the front lines. I’ll help Hange. See if there’s anyone with information that they want me to extract,” Levi left the room without another word.

Kenny looked at Grisha.

Grisha looked at Kenny.

“Why did you put me on this fucking throne?” Grisha asked as he collapsed into the chair, rubbing his temples.

“I wasn’t going to take the fucking thing. You can’t continue to be soft of these people,” Kenny said as he pulled his pipe out of his pocket.

“So I am to be a king of ashes.”

“I’m not saying go burn the whole capitol to a crisp. I’m not talking about the elderly, the children, or the innocent. I’m talking about those who continue to try and kill us. I know you want to give them mercy but you’ve given enough. Now it’s affecting my house, my family. I can’t allow that, Grisha. You know that. They could have done a lot worse to Mikasa. They almost did.”

Grisha sat forward, ran his hands through his hair. “I know.”

“No one said the crown was a light thing to wear.”

Grisha nodded. “Do what you need to.”

Kenny nodded before leaving.

—-----------------------------

Eren ended up falling back asleep again.

He was somewhere in black abyss.

“Dohaerās,” a raspy voice called.

“Dohaerās,” the same voice repeated.

“Dohaerās.” It echoed again.

“Dohaerās.” And Again.

“Dohaerās.” And again

“Dohaerās.” and again.

“Zaldrīzes rȳbus, lo mērī udrirzi Valyrio eglio ȳdrassua,” the voice said.

“Dohaerās.”

Then Eren was shaken awake again.

“You speak Valyrian?” Zeke asked him as he stood over him.

“What?” Eren asked as he sat up.

“Valyrian. You were speaking it. What were you dreaming about?” Zeke asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“I….I don’t remember. What was I saying?” Eren ran a hand through his hair.

“Something with a D. The only Valyrian word I know is dracarys because that’s what the Ackermans shout before the dragon’s release their fire. It wasn’t that.”

“What are you doing in my room anyway? I thought father was keeping us separate.”

“Nice to see you too, little brother. We’re safe for now. Kuchel, Kenny, and Levi are out there.”

“Is Mikasa here?”

Zeke shook his head. “She’s very….she was attacked.”

“I know. Colt overheard Levi and came to tell me. I have fallen asleep twice since then. I haven’t been sleeping well. Even when I do sleep, it doesn’t feel like I’ve rested.”

“They’re dead. Her attackers. Kayda and her father’s dragon took care of them.”

“That’s good. Because I would have killed them myself.”

“I don’t doubt that. I’m thinking…I’m thinking of asking father to send us North. We take our friends. I just…I don’t want to be here anymore. I can do more in the North. Hell, I’ll guard Mikasa myself.”

“I don’t know if she’ll want to see me.” Eren looked down.

It was his own doing. He knew that. Even if she did get his letters, there was no guaranteeing that she would forgive him.

“She will. Maybe you should do something for her.”

“I wrote her letters.”

“But did you really do that for her or for yourself?”

“Fine, what should I do then?”

“I don’t know,” Zeke shrugged.

“A lot of help you are.”

“Though I do know of someone we could ask,” Zeke grinned.

—-----------------

The dragons were taking care of the capitol.

Pieck was exhausted.

She had a new wound on her shoulder that Jean was stitching up when Zeke bursted into her room.

Zeke gave her a knowing look.

“You might knock,” Pieck scoffed. “I’ve got my tits out and your brother is redder than a rooster.”

Eren was looking at the floor avoiding eye contact.

“I’m almost done,” Jean said as he stabbed the needle through her flesh.

“And how much have you had to drink?” Zeke asked.

“Not that much,” Pieck muttered as she looked down.

“She’s good at getting stitches,” Jean replied.

“Should I be here? I feel like I shouldn’t be here. Being betrothed and all,” Eren said as he turned his back facing Pieck.

“Pieck doesn’t count. She’s practically family,” Zeke said. “I have a question for you.”

“Yes, I’ve been sleeping with Jean. Well, sometimes sleeping,” Pieck answered with a shrug.

“Stop moving,” Jean commented.

“What?” Eren asked as he still faced the door.

“Not the first question I was going to ask but….” Zeke trailed off.

“Fine. What is it?” Pieck asked.

“What can Eren do to make up for what he’s done to Mikasa?”

“Oh I am the wrong person to ask for that.”

“Why? You're a woman. You know things.”

“Glad you noticed!”

“You know what I mean.”

“And what I mean is every girl is different. What would be meaningful to me, might not be meaningful to Mikasa. If you truly want to make things up to her, do something for her. Something from your heart.”

“I’m done,” Jean said as he cut the thread from the needle.

Pieck pulled her tunic on. “It’s safe to look, Eren. I’m all covered now.”

Eren turned around. “I don’t know what to do. Zeke gave me the same advice. I…”

“Learn Valyrian,” Jean said as he put the needle on Pieck’s bedside table.

“What?”

“Valyrian. Mikasa speaks Valyrian. Her whole family does. Surprise her. Learn a few phrases. It’s what I would do.”

Eren narrowed his eyes at Jean. “Do you speak Valyrian?”

Jean scoffed before answering, “kessa.”

“I don’t know what it means.”

“It means yes but not a lot. I only know what little basics I picked up from Hange. I know yes, no, hello, and goodbye. I was hoping to impress the Princess with them. I don’t need to anymore.”

“So I’m taking your shitty idea?”

“I’m just trying to help you. If you don’t want it, fine. But that’s what I would do.”

“I don’t know what to do!”

“Well figure it out!”

“What my brother means is that is a wonderful idea and he’ll keep that in mind,” Zeke said as he steered Eren towards the door. “You and I will talk later,” he smirked at Pieck as the princes exited the room.

“He’s going to be insufferable now,” Pieck groaned as she sat down on her bed.

“Why?” Jean asked as he sat down next to her.

“Because he’s been saying I have feelings for you.”

“Do you care that he knows?”

Pieck shrugged, “not anymore. I…I….we could die tomorrow. I don’t want to live with regrets.”

Jean nodded. “So you want me to go then?”

“I thought you were supposed to be smart. No, I’m telling you, I don’t regret this. I don’t know what we’re doing. If it’s courting or something else, but I like being around you. Have you have my back. When Marcel died….” Pieck closed her eyes.

Jean pulled her to him. “I know.”

“And you lost Marco…”

Jean closed his eyes.

“And I don’t know who will be next. I don’t want to lose anyone else.”

Jean nodded as he just held her.

——————

The dragon egg mocked Mikasa.

The damn thing had never hatched.

It had been inside of Meadow’s saddle that he finally allowed Mikasa to take off.

So now the egg sat on her bedside table.

She had been told her brother had carried it with him everywhere.

Yet on that night, she had not seen him with it.

“Why didn’t you hatch?” She asked the egg like it would answer.

The egg remained still and unmoving.

Useless.

Like everything else her parents had sent her.

—————

“Send the boys to the North. We’ll compromise,” Kenny said as he released a puff of smoke.

“My wives talked you into asking me that,” Grisha noted.

“They didn’t say anything to me. I’m saying what makes sense. We send your boys to the North. Levi can watch them from above when they make the trip. They get to the North where they’ll be safe. That way if things go to shit here and you do decide to run, I only have three wolves and three people to worry about instead of five people and five wolves.”

“And what will my people think?”

“They’ll think you’re helping to support your son’s future marriage. He’s getting to know his future wife, his brother is his chaperon. You were sent to stay with us for a time.”

“I remember. If I do, I want all their friends sent with them. A full guard detail.”

Kenny nodded, “most of them are Northerns anyway. Do you think your wives will agree?”

Grisha considered it for a moment. “I think they’ll see it for what it truly is. No matter what we tell anyone else.”

“Kuchel and I will remain here for as long as we need to, you know.”

Grisha nodded.

—----------------------

Screams came from the dungeon.

“Who sent you?” Hange asked the man chained to the board in the dungeon.

“I’ll never tell you,” the man replied before he spat blood onto the floor.

“I see your interrogation is going well,” Levi said as he leaned in the doorway.

“His name is Duran. That’s all I’ve got from him. Thank you for procuring him for me,” Hange said as they picked up the knife.

“You should thank Vulcan. He grabbed him. How did those talons feel?” Levi asked as he entered the room.

“Fuck you,” Duran spat blood in Hange’s face.

Levi stormed in and grabbed Duran by the throat. “I say we just give him to Vulcan to eat.”

Hange grabbed a rag and wiped the blood from their face. “Hear that Duran? We’ll feed you to the dragons.”

“I don’t care. No matter what you do to me, the real ruler of the Seven Kingdoms will come and sit on the throne. House Fritz will be restored to its former glory.”

“Dragon?” Levi asked again as his grip tightened on Duran’s neck.

Hange nodded.

—---------------------

Seeing Vulcan up close, Hange controlled themself.

The dragon was massive, not quite as massive as Seaflames. Only slightly smaller than Blaze but he was a beast.

The dragon nipped at passers by who paid him too much attention. Hange had heard the dragon liked to bite.

The dragon’s eyes locked on Hange who was unabashedly staring at him.

“You're a beautiful dragon, aren’t you?” Hange spoke.

Vulcan’s chest puffed up.

“You keep talking to him like that it’ll go to his head,” Levi muttered as he waved the dragon closer.

“He can’t understand me. Zaldrīzes rȳbus, lo mērī udrirzi Valyrio eglio ȳdrassua.”

Levi scoffed, “yes. A dragon only listens when you speak in Valyrian meaning he only listens to commands in Valyrian. It doesn’t mean he only understands Valyrian. Trust me, that dragon understands Common just fine.”

“Where does his name come from?” Hange asked as the dragon stood in front of them.

“An old, old language that no longer exists. We only have some remnants in our books from Valyria. Vulcan was a god of fire.”

“And Kayda?”

“A less common language in the Ten Kingdoms. It means little dragon. Erwin mentioned you were interested in dragons,” Levi adjusted Vulcan’s saddle.

“I’m interested in anything to do with magic. I find it fanasting. The whole kingdom was built on magic. Then suddenly it was gone. No one who lives now understands how and why. Yet the Ackerman family still has their ties to their dragons, the Jaegers to their wolves. The rest of us are left without any magic at all.”

“If I told you something in confidence, would you have to tell the King?” Levi asked as he began to walk towards the dragon pit.

Hange cocked their head to the side before following him. “Would it put the King in harm’s way?”

“Not at all.”

“Would this be something you’d normally ask Erwin about?”

Levi nodded.

“Then you could ask me.”

Levi nodded as he continued to walk towards the Dragon Pit.

Hange tried to rack their mind for what Levi could possibly want to ask them about. Clearly, it was related to magic. Did Levi know more about magic than he let on? Possibly. Then again, if he needed to ask Erwin or Hange about it, then maybe he didn’t.

Perhaps Levi was just as clueless about certain things as Hange was. No amount of research had brought Hange any closer to knowing why magic was suddenly gone.

Once inside the dragonpit, Levi turned and faced Hange.

“I tell you this in confidence because you were Erwin’s…..I feel as if there is no one else I can ask this too. My cousin, Mikasa, erupted with such power, magic power I’ve never seen. There were flames, ice. They just shot out of her body. She didn’t burn. Then she was….asleep for weeks. I didn’t know if she was ever going to wake again.”

Magic.

Mikasa had magic.

It wasn’t dead.

There was some way Mikasa had been able to generate magic.

“Well, say something,” Levi commanded.

“I’m sorry. I’m a bit….the fire isn’t surprising. But ice? I’ve never heard of an Ackerman with ice magic,” Hange said as they put their hand on their chin.

“Why is fire not surprising?” Levi asked as he crossed his arms across his chest.

“Well, the Ackermans in the past were known for their blood and fire magic. I assumed you knew that. The only time I’ve heard of fire and ice together is the song of ice and fire. Or in other words, The Long Night. The heir to save us all will defeat the Others. Perhaps, the heir who saves us not only has power of fire but also ice. There’s an interesting thought….”

Levi looked over to Vulcan while Hange continued to ramble about the Others.

—---------------------------------

BA-DUM

Was it drums or Mikasa’s own heartbeat?

She couldn’t sleep.

She saw those who had attacked her.

She saw her mother killing her aunt, her brother.

Over and over.

BA-DUM

Nightmares.

Over and over.

When would it end?

Did her mother not realize how much her actions would hurt Mikasa? How much guilt Mikasa would carry around?

And those men?

Why had they attacked her?

Simply because she had been engaged to Eren.

BA-DUM

She was to blame for her soon to be husband’s birth now it seemed.

Now she slept in a tunic and breeches because she feared the men would come back.

Annie and Sasha had wanted to spend time with her today.

Wanted to sleep in this bed, keep her company.

She had pushed them all away.

Ordered them to stay away.

They could not deny an order from her.

Instead, Mikasa spent time with the dragons and reading.

She spent time allowing the anger inside her to grow and grow and grow.

Until she was nothing but anger.

BA-DUM

The egg was mocking her.

A reminder that her brother could never be a dragon.

He had been given such a small, easy task.

Be there and let your egg hatch.

But the egg did not hatch because her brother was not a dragon.

Her brother was a peacock, preening for their aunt’s approval, their mother and father’s attention.

He was the perfect heir.

Seen.

Not heard.

He was a child and somehow, he still was a better heir than Mikasa.

Of course he was! He was raised there! He was wanted.

Their parents had just left her here.

There was no part of Mikasa beside her mother’s blood that made her a member of the Ten Kingdoms.

She was too wild, too strong.

BA-DUM

Snatching the dragon egg from the bedside table, Mikasa went out into the night.

Kayda was waiting for her by the backdoor.

Mikasa didn’t think about how the dragon knew exactly where she was, where she was coming.

BA-DUM

Rage was building in Mikasa’s veins.

Fire.

She could feel it burning.

Meadow had found them.

Flanking either side of her, Mikasa and the two dragons made their way to where Mikasa had first erupted with power.

The dragon egg glowed.

BA-DUM

Placing the dragon egg on the scorch marks, Mikasa looked at Kayda and Meadow.

She would destroy the last link to her parents, her aunt, her brother.

Mikasa sat down next to the egg.

The egg glowed brighter as Mikasa felt the flames licking at her hands.

Fire danced around her knuckles.

She was the problem.

She was the reason that the fire had been set, displacing so many.

Some part of her knew that she was the cause of her parents death.

“Dracarys,”Mikasa told the dragons.

Neither did anything.

“DRACARYS!” She screamed but the dragons did not respond.

“DRACARYS!” She yelled again.

But the dragons did not obey her.

The flames on her body grew. In addition to dancing on the knuckles of her hands, flames danced around her bare feet, slowly making their way up to her ankles.

“DRACARYS!”

Her throat was getting sore.

Sobs escaped her body.

BA-DUM

Falling to her side, Mikasa continued to sob.

Why?

Why was she the way she was?

How?

How was she supposed to continue on this way?

The dragon egg continued to glow.

BA-DUM

Reaching out, Mikasa grabbed the egg. She curled her body around it.

Flames still danced on her hands.

It wouldn’t harm the egg.

She knew that much.

BA-DUM

So she lay then and sobbed.

Flames danced along her hands and feet.

BA-DUM

CRACK!

SNAP!

CREEK!

The flames on her hands and feet died.

Mikasa felt drained but her eyes snapped to the egg in her arms.

The egg.

It was hatching.

Mikasa watched as the egg continued to break as she sat it down.

Emerging from the egg, the baby dragon let out a screech.

“Se zaldrīzes ēdruta emagon hāre bartos,” the raspy voice said.

The dragon must have three heads.

#wmmtb #my writing #mine

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