#if you asked me I would be more afraid of a bear or a modern cow

[macbooth]

full of childish whimsy in a hostile fashion tonight so here’s every shakespeare clown i can think of and whether or not i think i’d beat them in a fight

(i do not mean fools i mean clowns. they do not need to be the secret genius of the play. if they are stupid in every way shape or form i am including them here)

Puck (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) No chance. Bro’s got that magic and ALSO has a big strong scary fairy king as his bear, like, do not separate them. If I even tried throwing hands at this cunt I’d get torn to shreds and used as glitter dude, I’d be over. 0/10

Nick Bottom (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) I could but I’d feel bad. I also think he’d put up a really solid fight. Like this is out of donkey form, bro was a physical worker. Like I reckon I could win a fight with some of the tradies I’ve seen but I don’t think it’d be easy. Also he’s just really dumb so I would feel a little bad. Donkey form though, I’m running away. Scary as shit. I am afraid of horses though. 6.5/10

Touchstone (As You Like It) Absolutely I could beat the shit out of this man. I hate him so much. Full of hostility towards this fucker. His clothes aren’t even subtle I could find this bitch in the forest no time and hunt him down and rip him to shreds, fuckin court jester doesn’t even have the roughness of the country on his side. 9/10 (-1 point cause he definitely fights dirty but I just hate him so much I’d win)

Jaques (As You Like It) First off he’s absolutely a clown. Second off I’ve played him before so my word is gospel. Third off bro has no fucking chance against me. He’s a podcast bro who thinks I don’t know that Tame Impala is one dude. I’d ask him why we can’t print more money and he would explode instantly and it would be the funniest thing he did with his life. 10/10

Audrey & Corin (As You Like It) I’m lumping these two together cause in the show I did they were one character (and I also played them). I wouldn’t even want to fight these two. And even if I wanted to Audrey would absolutely be able to beat the shit out of me and I would thank her. Our setting was in semi-modern country Australia, that girl would have a shotgun. 2/10

Autolycus (Winter’s Tale) Just like Jaques to me. He might be a little bit harder because he’d change costume and I’d get confused because I have no object permanence but other than that what has he got. Bitterness? Resentment? Bitch so did I when I was 15 grow up experience love. 8/10

Falstaff (Henry IV parts 1 & 2, Merry Wives of Windsor) I don’t actually know about this one but he is very punchable. I feel like he’d let me punch him and I think one punch would be enough for me. I think that would satisfy my urge to punch him. He may be a knight but let’s be honest he’s shit at it so I stand by this. 4/10 (just cause I don’t really give a shit)

The Dromios (Comedy of Errors) I absolutely could beat them in a fight but I would feel So Bad. You see how they’re literally already treated in the play, I wanna give them a break. That being said they’re both kinda dicks but they’re going through it already so I’d wanna give them a breather. I would win though, even if they both were attacking at once. 7/10

Launcelot Gobbo (Merchant of Venice) He’s such a prick but I would be laughing too hard at his name to fight him. Bro’s name is Gobbo. Bro’s name is basically Gobby. Imagine being named Blowjob. I would lose my mind. I would laugh so so hard I would collapse. My heart would fail. Biggest L name out there bro. Launcelot Gobbo oh my god. 3/10

Launce (Two Gentlemen of Verona)  Nah man he has an attack dog. I don’t care what breed of dog Crab is in a production I fully believe he would kill for Launce, that’s just their dynamic. I understand them better than anyone else (I have a dog). Also he’s already working for Proteus, is that not punishment enough? 4/10

Speed (Two Gentlemen of Verona) I mean I definitely could fight him. I don’t imagine he’s got much fighting experience. But once again, he has to deal with Valentine which does feel like it would be cruel to inflict more onto him. Like Valentine’s not as bad as Proteus but fuck is he stupid. Also if I accidentally flubbed a punch Speed could absolutely tear me a new asshole with his words and I would sob and cry and literally never recover. 4/10

The Porter (Macbeth) Fuck no. Bro definitely has a knife on him at all times. I can’t explain why I think this I just do. He works night shift, he definitely doesn’t get paid enough for his dog shit job, he would absolutely try to stab me just to spice up his evening without me starting a fight. 1/10

Trinculo (Tempest) Yes. Sorry, you’re Russell Brand? L. I could kick your ass. And he’s like drunk for half the show, and almost fucked a fish. I doubt his judgement is good enough to say the alphabet backwards let alone dodge a punch. He couldn’t even get Caliban to kick my ass (who definitely could by the way) cause Caliban fucking hates him. Bro, failwife to Stephano should pay more. But it doesn’t. 8.5/10

Dogberry (Much Ado About Nothing) Without Verges? Yes. With Verges? No way. Those two are a power couple in the dumbest possible way. He would absolutely try to get me arrested though but I simply would not go to prison. What’s he gonna do? Send me to prison? I’m already not going. 7/10

Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet) No chance. Unless Romeo fucked up so bad like he did in the actual play, I would have no chance against this dude. I wouldn’t even want to even if I could. I’m a Benvolio stan first and foremost and a person second you think I’d wanna fight his bestie? Only exception is if it was an actual fight club and not just a pure fight out of hatred. I feel like Mercutio could give Brad Pitt Fight Club Realness, outfits included.  I would still lose though. 2.5/10

Don Adriano De Armado (Love’s Labour’s Lost) I reckon I could wreck this dude’s shit. You know that gif where the fuckin dude is doing all these cool sword moves and then he just gets shot? You know the one. I forgot where it’s from but you know the one. That would be this fight. Armado would bust out his flair, his razzle dazzle, his pizzaz, and I would just deck him I think. That’s the power you need in this world, I think. Power of fist to face. Peace and love. <3 8/10

Costard (Love’s Labour’s Lost) I do not think Costard would realise he was being fought even as he was actively getting hit in the face. I know how to say honorificabilitudinitatibus, he doesn’t even have that against me. Bro couldn’t even confuse me with that, I learnt that, like an adult. Anyway yeah I’d kick his ass. 9/10

Holofernes & Sir Nathaniel (Love’s Labour’s Lost) This is the same man to me. I would destroy them both. Fuckin nerds. Flowery ass language nerds. I support gay rights and gay wrongs but the only reason I couldn’t fight those two gay muppets who heckle is cause they’re too far away (in a theatre booth), these two gay muppets who heckle are right in front of me. I’d kick their tweed cladded asses. 10/10

Jaquenetta (Love’s Labour’s Lost) She is just like Audrey to me. I could never bring myself to hurt her. Also she’s pregnant and I feel like it’s fucked up to hit a pregnant woman just for fun. Also she could absolutely wreck my shit. Please wreck my shit Jaquenetta. 0.5/10

Moth (Love’s Labour’s Lost) This little fucker should be an INSTANT knock out but I just know this fucker bites. He’s a shit talking 8 year old? Oh he plays wolves on the playground, I just know it. He plays wolves and he’s definitely been suspended for it, I just know it in my heart. Sure, I could kick him, but he would grab hold of my foot and try to rip it off. We would shake hands and agree to part ways, having met our match. He, who plays wolves, and me, who played fairies, leave the fight with our heads high and respect in our hearts. I am kidding of course but I do think we would tie. 5/10

Lear’s Fool (King Lear) There’s already so much fighting going on, I don’t even think they’d notice if I just started kicking this dude. Not only could I fight him and win, I think I’d get away with it too. I’d win not only physically but socially too. What’s he gonna do? Tell his boss? Bro he’s preoccupied with his whole kingdom crumbling, grow up. 9/10

Lavatch (All’s Well That Ends Well) This is more meta but my hatred of this play would fuel me here. I would fight literally anyone in this play if given the chance, not a joke. I would get in the ring with literally anyone from this play, but honestly, out of them all I weirdly respect Lavatch the most, maybe because he at least knows that he’s a cunt, unlike literally everyone else who Just Suck. I do think he’s probably scrappy though, so I wouldn’t leave unscathed. I also think if he got the upper hand he would be so so awful about it, so I’d really have to fight. 6/10

Sir Toby Belch & Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Twelfth Night)  Andrew is canonically bad at fighting, and honestly I do not believe Toby would be any better. Love both of these guys but if I had to fight them both at once I think I would be able to just move out of the way and they’d bonk each other on the head like a cartoon. They’re just silly guys. 9/10

Maria (Twelfth Night) Every woman clown could beat my ass. Audrey, Jaquenetta, Maria, they are all so special to me and would all also fucking destroy me. Maria especially cause I just know she is full of hate. You don’t hatch a plan like the Malvolio plan unless there’s something deeply worrying about you. She’s a Scorpio to me. <3 I do love her, she’d demolish me. 0/10

Feste (Twelfth Night) Would actually kill me. -5/10

I know I’ve definitely missed some but uhhh don’t expect me to remember every clown even if I’m neurodivergent about these plays please. <3

#long post #shakespeare #shakespeare memes #a midsummer night's dream #as you like it #winter's tale #henry iv #merry wives of windsor #comedy of errors #merchant of venice #two gentlemen of verona #macbeth #the tempest #much ado about nothing #romeo and juliet #love's labour's lost #king lear #all's well that ends well #twelfth night #macbooth original

[sebastianravkin]

Another Book Recommendation for 2024

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Seems obvious and possibly pointless for the Tumblr audience, but hear me out.

CONTENT WARNING: mention of dark moments in LGBTQ+ history.  If you would like to avoid, skip Point #1.

The below notes reflect a discussion concerning the book Good Omens I had with a group of my undergraduate interns over a couple of lunches last semester.  Given that they all loved the show, I had assumed they had all read the book.  Not all of them had, and for those that did, their knowledge of when the book was originally published and an understanding of its historical context was surprisingly limited.  I thought that others may be interested in these points, and so am sharing them here.  

1) *SKIP TO AVOID CONTENT WARNING* To understand the impact of Good Omens when it was published in 1990 on the LGBTQIA+ community, it helps to understand the cultural environment at the time of its publishing, at least in the United States. 

The book came out towards the end of the height of the AIDS epidemic (1981 - early 90s).  I can not stress enough how terrifying this was for the LGBTQIA+ community to live through.  People were afraid - of dying, of watching loved ones die, of being separated from their loved ones as they died, of being ostracized, of being denied medical help, of being attacked and beaten.  While there was a short fluorescence of nominal acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community during the 1970s, the societal response to the AIDS epidemic was a huge step backwards.  People became cruel(er), whether out of fear or ignorance or opportunity.

Good Omens came quietly onto the scene during this time, providing an alternate universe in which a gay-presenting angel (and his gender-fluid demon friend) could live in a world without the AIDS crisis.  At the same time, this angel did live in fear of his world literally ending, and really would like to have just gotten back to his comfy chair and his Regency silver snuffboxes.  Escapism reading at its best, really.

In addition, the book was published in 1990, so before many of the cultural moments that helped lead to social change but are now taken for granted.  Such as . . . .

-Freddie Mercury died of AIDS in November 1991 (which, by the way, means there was a very short window of time where people were reading Good Omens while he was still alive).

-Sir Elton John came out in 1992

-“Don’t ask, don’t tell” became official policy of the U.S. Military in 1993 (finally repealed in 2011)

-the establishment of LGBTQIA+ centers on college campuses surged in the mid-1990s

-Ellen came out on her show in 1997

-Will and Grace first aired in 1998

-Matthew Shepard was murdered in 1998 (the Federal Hate Crimes Prevention Act bearing his name was not passed until 2007). 

2) The book is queer coded for 1990.  As queer coded as the show is for current times. 

I have heard multiple comments from GenZ students along the lines of ‘there is nothing queer about the book’, and I have read commentary that Neil Gaiman caved to fan pressure in modernizing the script for the show. But I have also heard comments from GenX peers, including one of whom said “it was the gayest book I read in the 90s”. I have highlighted 15 passages in my teaching copy of the book that would have been queer-coded in 1990, 12 of which would go unnoticed today as far as I can tell based on discussions with many of my Millennial and GenZ students. 

It is important to keep in mind that the vocabulary of the 1980s and 90s relating to the LGBTQIA+ community was exceedingly limited; Mr. Gaiman and Sir Pratchett worked within this limited vocabulary, and were working within the stereotypes of the times, to portray Crowley and Aziraphale. And readers are meant to love them. Possibly more importantly, the derogatory comments concerning Aziraphale come from unlikable characters, and so the reader not only ends up feeling defensive of the angel but also does not want to be associated with those who hold negative opinions of him. I can think of few better ways to create social change. 

In terms of the show adaptation, whenever I watch a movie or show based on a book, my first concern is whether or not the adaptation makes me feel the way the book did. I am not an artist, so I do not know how one translates the written to the visual and I do not envy those attempting to do so.  But I do know that successful adaptations are almost never a one-to-one translation. What I can say in this context is that, to me, the show does feel like the book in terms of its themes, its humor, its timely social commentary. So whyever and however Mr. Gaiman updated it, I would argue it was successful. 

3) It is my understanding that Good Omens is the first book written by cisgendered heterosexual males for a general audience that portrays a gay-presenting character and a gender-fluid character as main characters in a positive light that does not end in a tragic way.  This is huge.  This is Captain Kirk and Uhuru’s kiss huge. 

Historically, LGBTQIA+ people rarely get positive representation in mainstream media. Rather, LGBTQIA+ characters in literature were often portrayed as villains in early writing, and are often used as comedic relief in more recent work. When there is a sympathetic main character, their story usually ends in tragedy. While tragic stories are very much a reality for many LGBTQIA+ people, it is incredibly important to also have stories that do not end in heartbreak or death.  And it is also incredibly important for LGBTQIA+ characters to be part of the norm in main stream story telling as this leads to broader social acceptance. Good Omens provided LGBTQIA+ readers with a sense of belonging in the greater world, while ‘normalizing’ the happy existence of LGBTQIA+ people to a broader readership.  This type of representation, presented by heterosexual white cisgendered male authors (at the top of the power structure in 1990) is a key moment in the slow but steady grind leading to social change.

In summary, read the book. Whether you are a fan of the show or not, and regardless of your generation, this book has a lot going for it. Above and beyond its importance to the LGBTQIA+ community, the book includes broader commentary on religion, good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, and identity in general. The menacing humor of Gaiman and the loving satire of Pratchett is a combination that is unequaled. The book is funny, thought-provoking, well-written, and has a lot of great characters above and beyond a particular angel and demon (who are only in about 1/3 of the book).  And as you read it, understand its historical context, and love it for the role it played in getting us to this cultural point in time.

#good omens #evelyntyler #books #books and reading #book reccomendation #neil gaiman #terry pratchett

[thebabblingbrookenook]

The Viscount Who Loved Me Too Much - Part 3

Pairings: Anthony Bridgerton x Hyacinth Bridgerton , Anthony Bridgerton x Violet Bridgerton, Anthony Bridgerton x Female Reader

Summary: Modern AU - A continuation of The Viscount Who Loved Me Too Much Part 1 and Part 2 . This chapter changes from Reader’s POV to Anthony’s in an effort to give us a little more insight into what’s going on with our Viscount. While Anthony grapples with the depths of his feelings for his Reader, Violet calls on Anthony for a favor. His sister needs his help.

Warnings: Not really anything to warn you about. If you are afraid of emotional growth and cheeky banter, then look away lol

Word Count: 5.1K

Author’s Note: @colettebronte is a beta - reading hero! Shout out to my Discord friends for helping me with fun ideas for this installment. I do plan to continue this story for as long as it makes sense to do so. Bear with me!

_________________________________________

Six weeks, four days, and some odd hours…

Apparently that was the length of time in which it took Anthony Bridgerton to fall in love. He knew when she awkwardly approached him in the bar that night and stumbled her way through an attempt at flirting that she was going to be important in his life. What he didn’t realize was that she would be the one to remind him of all the things that made life worth living.

She was a survivor. She fought relentlessly for her life - kicking, screaming, and clawing her way to the happiness she deserved. She was a marvel, and he constantly stood in awe of her. She made him want more than to merely exist. She made him aware of every ounce of joy he had been missing over the past year, but she also felt like his promise for a redemption of the time lost.

As he sat smiling at the ridiculous photo she just sent him of herself, he caught himself saying it aloud. It came as naturally as hushing Benedict’s sarcastic teasing, or sighing at his mother’s affectionate meddling. It was as if the words belonged on his lips. Light and free, with a huff of laughter he declared, “God, I love her.”

It was probably still a bit too soon for him to shout it from the rooftops for all to hear, but he knew it was true. He loved her, and eventually he would gain the courage to tell her so. Until then, he would revel in every second she allowed him to spend in her presence, every day adding new truths to his list of reasons to love her. 

He was about to respond to her cheeky midday text when his phone started buzzing, flashing a picture of his mother across the screen.

“Hello mother,” he answered.

“Oh, hello darling!” she beamed. “I wasn’t expecting you to answer. I’m not bothering you, am I?”

“Not yet,” he teased. “But it’s only a matter of time.”

“You wound me, son. I don’t know where I went wrong in raising you.”

A warmth that he associated with childhood started to bloom in his chest. Violet Bridgerton had a million admirable qualities, but chief among them was her playful sense of humor. “My apologies, Lady Bridgerton. How can I possibly make amends?”

“Oh, good! I’m glad you asked.” she said without missing a beat. “Are you busy today? I wasn’t sure if you were working from home or the office.”

“Bex informed me this morning that my afternoon meeting was canceled, so I took the rest of the day. I have plans later this evening with…” he paused, unsure if he was ready to share her with anyone else just yet. “... with a friend. Other than that, I’m at your disposal. Is everything all right?”

“Yes, everything is fine. I was just wondering if you could collect Hyacinth for me. The school called. It seems she isn’t feeling well and needs to be sent home. I would go, but I’m on my way to a bridal boutique with Daphne at the moment. Genevieve Delacroix is having a trunk show and your sister has her heart set on one of her dresses. Simon, the dearheart, set up an appointment with the designer as a surprise.”

Anthony shook his head at his friends' over-the-top gesture. Leave it to Simon to find new ways to spoil Daphne beyond belief. It was hard for Anthony to see Daphne as a woman who was ready for marriage, and not as a tiny, bossy little girl that followed her brothers everywhere they went. But if it had to be someone, he was glad it was Simon that his baby sister deemed worthy enough to trust with her heart. 

“Of course I will. She must really be sick to call home. That kid would sooner die than admit defeat.” Worry started to take root in his chest. He knew it was perfectly normal for kids to get sick from time to time, but Hyacinth was such a steady, constant little thing. She never wavered from her determined strength. At least not where the prying eye could see.

“Thank you, Anthony.” Violet sighed with appreciation. “Give her a kiss for me and tell her I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

“I don’t know about all that, but I’ll certainly let her know she crossed your mind.”

Violet huffed her reply. “What have I done to deserve such an obstinate child?”

Anthony found himself laughing again. It felt good. “God clearly thought you needed a challenge since the rest of your brood would prove to be so easy. I’m honored to be the one assigned the task of keeping you sharp. I think I’ve done a great job so far.”

“You’ve done a great job of making me old, that’s what you’ve done. When do you think you might retire?” she asked lovingly.

“As soon as you stop meddling and insisting that you know what’s best for me.”

“So, never.” she quipped.

“Have fun with Daph today, and try not to worry about Hyacinth. I’ll take care of it.” he promised, directing the conversation to a close.

“I know,” she replied, her voice steeped in motherly love. “You always do. Thank you, dear. I love you.”

“You too,” he returned, discomfort settling in his shoulders. He still had a hard time hearing those words when they were meant for him. He didn’t deserve them. Too much had happened. He failed too many people to be awarded that privilege. Especially his mother…

“Oh, and Anthony… One more thing before you go,” her voice took on the chastising quality that only a mother could master. “When are you going to introduce me to the lovely young woman you’ve been so clearly infatuated with for the last few weeks?”

“How did you...” he questioned with shock.

“Oh, come now Anthony. A mother always knows.” He could hear the victorious smile in her voice. “Plus, you’ve been walking around all sneaky and secretive like a fourteen year old boy. It was either a woman, or I’m about to get a call from your old headmaster claiming that he caught you bringing farm animals into the school again.”

He desperately wanted to change the subject. “Priorities, mother. Hyacinth needs me. We can talk about this later.”

“I agree. We’ll talk tomorrow. I’ll be at the office to meet with the barristers regarding the foundation. You can take me to lunch.” That was that. She hung up the phone before he had the chance to protest. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Hyacinth Bridgerton sat in uncharacteristic silence while she waited with the school nurse for what she had hoped would be a quick rescue. What was taking her mother so long to get here? Didn’t she know that being the baby of the family granted Hyacinth the right to be the center of her mother’s universe? What could she possibly be doing right now that would keep her from rushing to her aid?

“Hyacinth,” the nurse prodded. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather lie down? You look a bit too pale for my liking.”

“I’m fine,” she lied. 

She wasn’t fine at all. She was in the worst pain she had ever felt in her life. All she wanted was to go home and crawl up for a good cry. She wouldn’t break down here. Not with someone watching. She would hold it all together until she was in private. She was a Bridgerton - weakness didn’t run in their blood. She had seen Anthony do it a hundred times. He was a master at taming his own emotions until the time was right. If he could do it, so could she. 

Although, she doubted her brother ever had to deal with anything equal to likes of this. It was excruciating and horrifying. There was a good chance she was dying. She didn’t know how much longer she had left. Hopefully her mother made it in time.

A knock wrapped on the door and the secretary popped her head inside with a smile. “Miss Bridgerton, your father is here to take you home.”

Hyacinth’s lungs forgot how to breathe. Father… this was obviously a mistake. Maybe they meant to collect the young girl in the corner with her face hunched over a bucket. “I think you may have the wrong student. My mother is coming for me.”

“No,” the annoyingly chipper woman replied. “He asked for you by name. Grab your things and follow me. I’ll walk you out to him.”

They walked in silence through the corridor. Hyacinth only remained upright through sheer force of will. She was already preparing her “I told you so” speech when realization hit. And with that realization came dread. There was currently only one person that someone would mistake as her father…

Her nightmare was confirmed when they rounded the corner to find Anthony anxiously awaiting her arrival. He rose to his feet the second he saw her approaching, worry widening his soulful eyes. It was strange to see him here. Actually, it was strange to see him at all. She tried not to hold his absence against him. This had been one of the hardest years for their family. Especially for Anthony. And she understood her brother. She knew why he distanced himself. She knew he needed the space to rebuild in solitude. But she missed him, and she couldn’t help feeling a little like he’d abandoned her. 

“Hyacinth,” he fretted, scanning her over from head to toe. “Are you okay? Do you want me to take you to the doctor?”

“No!” she panicked. “No doctors. Just take me home please.”

“Of course,” he said softly before taking her backpack from her shoulder and slinging it over his own. It was a small but sweet gesture that left her eyes misty. He was somehow both the last and exact person she wanted here with her right now.

She was relieved to see that he had opted to drive himself instead of taking his driver. She didn’t need anymore witnesses to her impending meltdown. 

Hyacinth could feel him eyeing her cautiously from the driver’s seat as they made their way through traffic. “You’re staring, Anthony.”

“I’m just worried. You never get sick. Your face is as white as a sheet and you look like you’re about to puke all over my car.”

“Well knock it off,” she scowled. “I’m fine.”

He scoffed, irritating her even more. “You’ve always been a horrible liar Hyacinth. You’re allowed to not feel well. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“It’s none of your business Anthony. Just take me home so you can get back to whatever it is you were doing before I inconvenienced you.” She regretted her words the moment she saw the hurst flash across his face.

“I’ve never thought you were an inconvenience Hyacinth. Not even once. Now will you please tell me what’s wrong? I can stop at the store before we get to the house and pick up some medicine if you need.”

“My stomach hurts, okay. Now can we please drop this?” she wasn’t above begging him. 

“Alright, well I’ll just pop into Waitrose and grab you some ginger ale,” he offered.

He was only trying to take care of her, but she was irrationally angry at him. She just wanted him to stop talking and drive her home so she could die in peace.

“It’s not that kind of stomach ache, Ant. I don’t need ginger ale.”

“Okay, then maybe I ca-” she cut him off before he could provide another option.

“Ughhh! If I tell you what’s wrong will you shut up?” When he nodded his concession she took a deep breath and went on. “I got my period today in front of my entire gym glass. Marcy Fisher told everyone I was a freak and to stay away from me if they didn’t want it to happen to them too.”

From the look on his face, Hyacinth was sure that she’d thoroughly traumatized her eldest brother. He squirmed uncomfortably in his seat before he responded. “But… you’re only twelve. You’re still… so small. Are you certain?”

She rolled her eyes at his very male reaction. “I’m pretty freaking sure, Anthony. I’m not a baby anymore. According to Eloise, this means I’m a woman now.”

“Oh, God,” he groaned. “Please don’t say that. I’m not ready.”

“I hate to break it to you, but you better buckle up brother, because this is happening. It hurts, it’s disgusting, I’m mortified, and I really don’t want to talk about this anymore. Especially not with you.” 

“Do you want me to ring mum?” he asked desperately. 

“No!” she screeched. “Promise me you won’t tell anyone else. Swear it, Anthony!”

“Alright, alright! I swear it. Relax.” He had to restrain from wincing at the glare she shot him.

“Good,” she sighed. Some of the tension visibly left her body with the knowledge of their pact. “The last thing I need is Gregory finding out. I’d never hear the end of it.”

Anthony drove on in silence. He knew this was a big day for his littlest sister, and he was trying his best to not react poorly. He was not the right person to be handling this. Almost anyone else would be more well suited. He had to assume that his mother wouldn’t have sent him if she knew what was really going on with her daughter. This was the kind of thing he would normally call Benedict for help with. He always seemed to know what to do where their sisters were concerned. He had a much more delicate touch than Anthony. But he couldn’t call Benedict. He couldn’t call anyone. Hyacinth had forbidden it, and he didn’t want to face the tiny girl’s wrath if he ignored her wishes. 

His plan was to just keep his head down long enough to get her home and then wait for his mother to arrive so he could slip out undetected. Yes, that was the plan. Sit down, shut up, avoid disappointing her. That is until he heard the muffled sniffles coming from the other side of the car.

He could never stand to see Hyacinth cry. It never failed to render him useless. All he wanted was to comfort her, but he didn’t always know how. It was a lot easier when she was four and just crawled into his lap for a hug. It was easy to chase away what scared her when he could just pick her up and remove her from the danger all together. But now… what did he do now?

“Hyacinth…” he treaded carefully.

Thankfully, she let him in without a fight. “How am I supposed to face them all tomorrow, Anthony? Marcy Fisher said…”

Anger boiled behind his eyes when he identified the source of his sister’s tears. “Marcy Fisher is a snot-nosed spoiled brat with a father that can’t find a job with a salary large enough to support his coke habit and a mum who is so vapid that she has to pay people to be her friend. Marcy Fisher can piss off. You’ll face those kids the same way you do every day - as a Bridgerton.”

Her responding laughter was contagious until it turned into painful sobs without warning. Alarm bells sounded in his head as he began backpedaling. “Shit, what have I said?! I’m sorry Hy, please don’t cry. You don’t even have to go to school tomorrow if you don’t want to.”

She shook her head, gathering herself. “It’s not you. Well, it is, but not in a bad way. I just forgot how much you get me sometimes. Sorry, I’m really tired and probably sound like a blubbering idiot. How embarrassing.”

“Just hang in there,” he assured her. “We’re almost home.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Anthony was sure Hyacinth was ready to be rid of him, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave her. Once they reached the house she had immediately gone for a shower and insisted that she didn’t need anything else from him. She claimed everything else could wait until their mother got home, but he didn’t think it was right that she should have to wait for what she needs just because he might be a little uncomfortable. 

There were a lot of things over the years that he fucked up when it came to Hyacinth. She needed a father but she got him instead - a disappointment since she took her first breath. There was probably loads yet that he would surely get wrong, but this he could do. 

Or so he thought…

He stood frozen with indecision in the middle of the feminine care aisle of their local pharmacy. There were so many options to choose from. How was he supposed to know which ones to pick?!

An understanding laugh pulled him from the ledge of his looming panic. “You’ve got the terrified look of a first time dad. Need some help?”

Anthony met the eyes of the kind stranger with gratitude. The man looked to be well into his fifties and reminded him unsettlingly of his father. “Please… I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“Everyone’s gotta start somewhere,” the man said, clapping him on the shoulder. “How old is your daughter?”

“She’s twelve,” he sighed. “She’s only twelve. That seems too early, doesn’t it?”

“One of my girls was ten,” the man confided. “You were lucky. You got a couple extra years of normalcy. It will be like riding lightning from here on out.”

Anthony watched in amazement as the man picked up items from the shelf and set them into the basket in his trembling hand. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” he smiled. “If I were you, I’d toss in some ibuprofen and some sweets. And anything else that might make her feel loved.”

He could do that. He loved buying Hyacinth things that made her smile. She always rewarded him with hugs. “Thank you again. I would have been standing here all day if you hadn’t come along.”

The man instilled one last piece of wisdom before taking his leave. “Just remember, you’re never doing as bad as you think. And hold on tight for as long as she’ll let you.”

~~~~~~~~~~

When Hyacinth came out of the shower, bundled in the coziest sweats she could find, Anthony was gone. She was equally disappointed and relieved. Being with her brother always made her feel special. He looked at her like she was his most treasured possession. Like a tiny, delicate gemstone that he wanted to protect at all costs. But he also hovered and fussed. And his keen observation skills made it way harder to get away with cheeky activities. Sometimes the authority that he carried made it hard for her to just relax. There was always that lingering fear of seeing disenchantment dull his warm eyes. 

It was hard for Hyacinth to be around him when he was sad. She could feel the effort it took him to present himself as having it all together. He might be able to fool other people, but not her. Everyone else believed that mask because that’s what they wanted to see, but the truth was in his eyes. He was tired. Life hadn’t been pulling its punches lately, and her invincible big brother was dancing with defeat. It made her angry. She knew that wasn’t fair - he wasn’t perfect. The pedestal she placed him on was always unsustainable, she knew that. She just wasn’t ready for how it would feel to see him as a normal person and not the hero the little girl in her remembered so clearly.

She had noticed a change in him lately though. He smiled a little easier, his body looked stronger - he wasn’t as fragile. She didn’t know what happened to make him feel more like himself again, but whatever it was, she was grateful.

She had just climbed under the comforting fabric of her plush blanket when she heard the knocking on her bedroom door. Anthony poked his head in before she could answer.

“Hyacinth, are you in here?” his eyes searched the room before finally landing on the Hyacinth shaped lump under the covers.

“You came back,” she stated, happiness tugging the corners of her mouth toward the sky.

“I know you wanted to be alone, but I’ve brought you some things.” He took a tentative step into the room.

Heat rushed to the tops of Hyacinth’s cheeks. “You went shopping for me?”

“I wasn’t sure what all you would need, so I just bought one of everything.” He handed her the large paper bag he clutched nervously. “There are also some sweets in there. I got those little Battenbergs you like. And those disgusting Monster Munch crisps you fancy so much.”

Her eyes lit up. “Roast Beef flavored?!”

His face grimaced as he shook off his distaste. “Yes, but I beg you to wait to eat those until after I’ve left. I don’t know how you stomach the smell.”

She stuck her tongue out at him before continuing to dig through the bag. “Good God, Anthony! How much did you buy? I’m only one person.”

Her throat tightened with the effort to hold in a fresh wave of tears. She had just managed to stop crying and refused to start up again. A few salty droplets slipped past her defenses as she cataloged the contents of her care package. He had put so much thought into it. The image of him scowling at shelves of feminine hygiene products made her laugh. He really had thought of everything - snacks, medicine, a heating pad. There was even an adorable stuffed bumble bee. 

She felt the bed dip slightly when he sat down next to her. His anxious expression caught her attention before he spoke. “Hyacinth…” he paused, mindlessly rubbing his thumb over something concealed in his palm. “I know I haven’t been very present lately, and I’m sorry. It has nothing to do with you and everything to do with my own shortcomings.”

He extended his hand to her, revealing the antique gold pocket watch their father had given him. “Father’s watch?” she asked, confusion coloring her features.

“Open it,” he encouraged.

Gently, she clicked the delicate latch to display the same intricate clock face she’d seen a thousand times before. Tucked safely within the opposite side was a worn photo. A young Anthony holding…

“That’s us,” he confirmed. “The day you were born. You were so small… and loud.”

“Ha. Ha.” she deadpanned. “Why do you keep it here?”

As if the answer was obvious, he simply stated, “So that I’ll always have it with me.” Sensing she needed more, he went on, “My whole life changed that day. I was nineteen - young, dumb, and aimless. But then there you were, and suddenly I had a purpose. So I keep it with me as a reminder for when I get a little lost.”

His knuckle brushed against her cheek, wiping away a runaway tear. “You are not an inconvenience. You never have been. And I’m sorry if I’ve ever made you feel that way. I’ll do better, I promise.”

There was no stopping the free-falling emotions that cascaded down her face. She was moving towards him before she had a chance to think better of it. Climbing into his lap, she wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder. He didn’t speak. He held her close, stroking her hair in reassurance, giving her space to feel.

When she calmed down, she pulled away, wiping her nose on the sleeve of her oversized hoodie. Anthony stood, smoothing out his now ruffled clothing. “I’ll leave you alone now,” he said with a smile.

The moment he turned to leave Hyacinth realized that’s not what she wanted at all. “Or… you could stay. Do you want to binge watch Love Island with me?!”

“Love Island?!” He was appalled. “Hyacinth, that is absolute trash TV. Utter brain rot.”

“Exactly,” she beamed. “That’s the appeal. Come on, Anthony. You can hate- watch it and complain the whole time. You know how much you love criticizing stupid people.”

Hyacinth lifted her blanket, inviting him to crawl in next to her. She laughed at his exasperated huff before he gave in and kicked off his shoes.

“Fine,” he conceded.

“Awesome,” she grinned victoriously. It was unnerving how much she looked like their mother when she looked at him like that. “Can we UberEats some McDonalds, too?!”

She had him right where she wanted him and she knew it. “Might as well,” he said, handing her his phone. “Garbage food to go with our garbage show.”

Even though he would rather pluck his eyes out than watch this show, he was content to just be here. Happy even. It was a moment worth remembering. Taking the phone she was handing back to him, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his side. “Come here. I think we need an updated picture, don’t you?”

“Let me see,” she demanded. “If I look awful you have to delete it.”

“Whatever you say, your highness,” he chuckled softly.

“Aww! I love it,” she approved, sending the photo to herself. “You’re smiling.”

Anthony stared down at the photo contemplatively. She was right, it turned out nicely. He already knew the exact spot he wanted to place it on his desk.

The time on his phone caught his attention. It was already two o’clock and he was supposed to pick his girl up for dinner at half past six. He had been looking forward to seeing her all day but he didn’t want to cut his time with Hyacinth short.

Texting her the picture of him and his sister, he asked:

Anthony: Would you be opposed to pushing dinner back until 8:00? I’m on big brother duty.

She sent him back a gif of a cartoon cat with heart eyes.

Trouble: That is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. We can reschedule for tomorrow if you want to spend the evening with your family. I don’t mind.

Anthony: I mind. I mind a lot. I want to see you. I’ve been thinking about it since I woke up this morning.

Trouble: Forget dinner, come straight to my place. I’ll feed you.

Anthony: What’s on the menu?

Trouble: Me.

He didn’t realize he had laughed out loud until Hyacinth asked, “What’s her name?”

“Who,” he played dumb, praying she hadn’t caught a glimpse at those texts.

Hyacinth rolled her eyes. “The girl that’s got you smiling like that. Duh.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s no girl,” he sidestepped. “And I’m not smiling.”

“You’re so smiling. Have you told her yet?” she prodded.

“Told her what?” He realized his mistake a moment too late.

“HA! So there is a girl! I knew it.” She poked him playfully.

“God, you’re nosy. Maybe even worse than Eloise.”

“That is the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me Anthony. But flattery doesn’t distract me for long. Soooo….?” she waited with unyielding patience for him to answer.

“Sooo?” he mimicked.

“Did you tell her yet?” She was relentless.

“Tell her?” Really though, what was she on about?

“That you love her…” 

His breath caught in his throat. “I… what? No…”

“But you do,” it wasn’t a question this time.

“Hyacinth…” he warned.

“Okay, okay. Will you at least tell me her name?” 

He took a minute to consider it. Was he ready? The bubble they existed in was fun and safe. Pressure free. The moment he let someone else in, it would raise the stakes. But isn’t that what he wanted - something real? She deserved that. 

“I’ll tell you, but this information is just for you. Understood?” She hooked her little finger around his in a silent promise. “Her name is Y/N.”

“Y/N…” she repeated. “She sounds beautiful.”

Anthony watched his sister with fascination as her eyes came alive with the romantic imagination that only existed inside the mind of a twelve year old girl.

Maybe one day he would remember how to see the world that way again too.

~~~~~~~~~~

Two hours later, Anthony found himself fully immersed in the exploitative debauchery that was Love Island. Hyacinth had fallen asleep about thirty minutes into the first episode, now drooling safely on his chest, and left him to navigate the shallow dramas of the contestants’ lives. He’d never admit it out loud, but he could understand why someone might find their antics entertaining. It was so far removed from reality it was nearly impossible to look away.

He was about to make his predictions for this episode when there was a knock on the door.

“Hyacinth?” Violet called, opening the door. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”

“Sshhh,” Anthony whispered. “She’s asleep.”

“Darling,” she greeted him warmly. “You’re still here. I thought you’d be gone by now. I thought you had plans, I didn’t mean to keep you from them.”

He waved off her concern. “It’s okay, I rescheduled. Besides, I think I’m right where I belong.”

“How is she,” Violet asked, feeling Hyacinth’s forehead with the back of her hand.

“I’ll let her tell you about it when she wakes up. She’s had a long day, but I think she’s hanging in there.” He smiled down at his snoring sister.

“I can see that,” his mother remarked as she observed the discarded candy wrappers littered across the bed. Her face transformed when she took in the sight of her children cuddled together so sweetly. “She misses you, you know?”

“I know,” he hung his head, averting his mother’s eyes. “I should have come sooner.”

Gentle fingers pushed his hair away from his face. “Well, you’re here now. That’s what matters.”

“Yeah. I guess…” It still felt like too little, too late. He had a lot to make up for, but this was a good place to start.

A stream of expletives sounded over the tv speakers when two of the contestants realized a betrayal. Violet turned her attention to the screen. “For God’s sake, Anthony! What on Earth are you watching? I hope you didn’t let your sister watch this rubbish. Those women are hardly wearing any clothes!”

“Really,” he smirked. “I hadn’t noticed.”

He got the exact reaction he was aiming for. 

“Hush,” she reprimanded before turning off the tv and leaving the room.

The room was silent now, the only sound was Hyacinth's steady breathing. He felt himself relax into the soft pillowy mattress. His lids began to droop, his mind slowed to a blissful hum.

He had been out in the cold for so long. It was good to be home…

_____________________________________

Tags: @faye-tale @eleanor-bradstreet @musicismyoxygen84 @queen-of-the-misfit-toys @heeyyyou @queenofmean14 @angels17324 @bridgertontess​

#Anthony Bridgerton fanfiction #Anthony Bridgerton #Anthony Bridgerton x Hyacinth Bridgerton #Anthony Bridgerton x Violet Bridgerton #Anthony Bridgerton x Reader #Modern AU Anthony Bridgerton #Bridgerton fanfiction #Anthony Bridgerton and Hyacinth Bridgerton #Anthony Bridgerton and Violet Bridgerton #Anthony Bridgerton and Reader #Bridgerton Family

[kinkandkreep]

Connor Kenway/Ratonhnhaké:ton Headcanons: As a Father

A/N: Hey hey y’all! So, as most of you may know by now, for the past week or so Ratonhnhaké:ton a.k.a Connor Kenway, the protagonist from Assassin’s Creed 3, has completely occupied my mind. Like I’m serious, it’s been exactly one (1) thought, head full of him. So, to help flush some of this fixation out of my system, I’ve taken to writing a shit ton of headcanons for him, all different au’s and themes. Today, we’ll be looking at what I envision Connor to be like as a father. Canonically, he has three (3) children, two daughters and a son. We never, however, get to see more of what he’s like as a dad, so that’s where I step in! 😁 FAIR WARNING: These are more so a combination of Modern and Canonical headcanons since I took inspiration from how I imagine Connor would behave in both timelines. With that being said, I hope you guys enjoy! And please feel free to send me any Connor related asks or requests you may have. I’d love to write more for him and interact more with my fellow Con-Con man lovers. 

Ratonhnhaké:ton/Connor Kenway as a Father Headcanons

Before I say anything else, and go into any detail, let me make something abundantly clear 

Ratonhnhaké:ton/Connor Kenway is an amazing father

He’s doting yet firm, protective but not overbearing

He’s attentive and accommodating, but not to the point of pandering and being spineless

He knows how to be gentle with his children, even from the time they’re infants and he gets to hold them for the first time

Speaking of…

The first time Connor gets to hold his child, his eyes water up like super hard

He only notices, as entranced as he is by his baby, because his picture of them becomes blurry

He’s afraid his tears will drop on his baby and startle them, so he quickly yet carefully hands her back to his wife and wipes the tears, which have now begun trickling down his face, before immediately, quietly asking for permission to hold his child again

(His wife, in her exhaustion and recovering from the sudden rush of adrenaline, thinks it’s funny and sweet that he thought to ask for permission) 

Ratonhnhaké:ton never ceases to be amazed, even as the number of times his wife gives birth increases and, subsequently, the number of his children grows

He’s just as astonished the third time as he was the first 

As I mentioned in some of my previous Connor-canons, he’s always desired to be a father and have a family

(I mean personally, before the comic came out, I wouldn’t have thought he necessarily wanted such a big family, but the fact that he apparently did positively warms my heart 😭)

Even years later, he still feels regret about the way things played out between him and his own father, and the more he contemplated why Haytham behaved in the way that he did, Connor has deduced that perhaps Haytham’s relationship with his dad wasn’t the greatest either, and that affected him to a degree

(That’s by no means meant to excuse or justify what Haytham did, but I thought it was worth mentioning)

He knows he can’t ever know the answer for certain, but with this speculation, Connor decided that he would do his utmost to be a good father to his children, regardless of what path they chose and what differences may have existed between them

We all know that Ratonhnhaké:ton can very easily become a papa bear when the situation calls for it, and he’s very unafraid of puttin’ the smackdown on people who would overstep their boundaries 

This behavior is increased tenfold once he becomes a father

Now he really is a papa bear, and anyone who would try to harm his children in any way will be dealt with. Swiftly. 

On the flipside of that however, Connor also knows that he shouldn’t coddle his kids, and that eventually they’ll have to learn to defend themselves

So, he does the obvious thing and covertly teaches them some of the fighting and self-defense techniques he learned as an Assassin 😁

It’s not full out Assassin training (outside of Io:nhiòte, who of course possesses the OG eagle vision) and he tries to keep it on the dl from his wife (who eventually finds out anyway and scolds him but nevertheless allows him to continue 🙃)

Connor and all three of his children really enjoy flapjacks (yes, flapjacks not pancakes)

I imagine that Connor and his family live in the manor and so the children each have their own rooms

They’re each responsible for the upkeep of said room once they are of age, and Connor teaches them the importance of cleanliness, in all aspects

He also teaches them respect, even to the animals who provide their food and fur/skins

When his children inevitably inquire about what it is Connor does since he wears those special robes, he decides to be completely upfront and honest with them, when they are old enough 

Prior to that, he tells them a watered-down version of the story, saying things like “I help others and make bad people go away” or even jokingly implying or outright stating that he belongs to a secret brotherhood who helps people and punishes those who misbehave 

(When the kids are younger, they eat his stories up, so fascinated and intrigued they are with whatever it is their dad does) 

I feel that Io:nhiòte is the most excitable of Connor’s kids; she’s still a polite, well-spoken girl but just a little more headstrong than her siblings 

I also feel that Connor’s son, which I believe is his second eldest child, is like him and has a very calm (almost more so than his father), even temperament 

He, again like his father, is soft-spoken and kind, and also very intelligent: he adapts and learns very quickly

Connor’s oldest, who I believe is his other daughter, is very confident and much like her mother

She is also well-mannered and independent, not liking to rely on others for much, if anything, one trait she did inherit from her dad

She takes pride in being the eldest, and always tries to lead and set a good example for her siblings 

Even with their similarities though, Connor still has had to learn to adapt his attitude and responses when engaging each of his children

He laughs at the thought, as coming to understand and subsequently better communicate with his kids reminds him of his early days of assassin training, the more mentally taxing work he had to put in

It also sometimes saddens him when he thinks about how his own father could never quite figure out how to do the same

But, all in all, Connor is just grateful that he can make a positive difference as it relates to his own relationship with his kids

Rapid Fire Round!

Connor and Io:nhiòte have their own secret language that they use when out training

(It’s mostly vocalizations and hand signals, not so much actual words)

Connor likes to have special little inside jokes with his kids, and they each have either a hand signal or handshake that is unique to them

Ratonhnhaké:ton isn’t usually one to cry at all, but he definitely sheds tears whenever any one of his kids reaches a milestone

(Like he might not outright sob but a few little diamonds surely make their way down his cheeks 😂)

When they’re little, Connor’s kids love to play in his hair (which I imagine he lets grow out a considerable amount once he’s settled down) and he’s more than happy to let them

Loves to make their birthdays celebrations for the whole of the Homestead and his wife’s village as well 

When he’s at home and the babies are…well babies, Connor oft volunteers to supervise his, Myriam/Norris and Warren/Prudence’s kid’s playdates 

I didn’t mention this in my general headcanons for Con-Con man but I actually believe he knows how to cook, and for this particular set of headcanons he does so pretty frequently for his kids, as they’re big fans of his cooking 

Connor loves to give his kids piggyback rides; his son and Io:nhiòte are particularly big fans 

When the children are little, Connor hums to them to help them sleep at night 

(His wife likes to tease him about how nice his voice is and Connor is always flustered at the compliment)

All-in-all, Connor is an excellent father, and is more than willing to give his kids the world 😁

#connor kenway #ratonhnhaké:ton #ac3 #assassin's creed 3 #connor kenway headcanons #ratonhnhaké:ton headcanons

[delicatenightfury]

"Bunnanunê."

2021 Month of Writing: Day 25

Pairing: Thorin Oakenshield x modern!reader

Prompt:

Word Count: 1,531

Author's Note: please don't steal my work! you can choose to respond to the prompt as well, but don't steal my work

Thorin looked up from his paperwork when the doors of his office chamber burst open. Kili was breathing heavily.

“Kili?” Thorin said, setting his work down. He was in the middle of a discussion with Thranduil and Bard, talking over the next plans to further expand trade between their three homes.

“It’s Y/N,” the prince breathed.

Thorin immediately tensed.

“What’s happened?” Thorin demanded.

“She’s gone into labor.”

Thorin pushed his seat back and quickly got to his feet.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to excuse me,” he said to the other leaders.

Both nodded, smiles on their faces. 

“We understand, Thorin,” Bard said. “We can continue this another time.”

“Go. Be with your wife,” Thranduil said, bowing his head slightly to him.

Thorin moved out of the room, hurrying down the halls toward his bed chamber. At the moment, the only thing on his mind was getting to his wife. He did not know how far into labor she was. When Fili and Kili were born, his sister Dís had been in labor for several hours before they had come into the world. However, Dís was a dwarf, giving birth to dwarven children. His wife was human. Their child was going to be half dwarf, half human.

While relationships like theirs were not entirely uncommon, they were still rare enough that Thorin was worried about child bearing. Dwarven children were carried longer than humans, roughly 4 years, and tended to be heavier. Y/N had told him early on that human children developed over the course of about nine lunar cycles, a thought that puzzled him originally. Neither were quite sure how long her pregnancy would last. Turns out it was just around eighteen months.

Thorin knocked on the door to his chambers. He didn’t know what state Y/N was in, so he wanted to try to respect her privacy. A minute later, the door opened to reveal his sister, who smiled at him.

“He’s here,” she announced, stepping back so Thorin could move into the chamber.

He couldn’t help but smile at the sight. His wife was standing by the balcony, hand resting on her large stomach. She took a deep breath and exhaled steadily before looking at him. She smiled back at him. Her free hand lifted and reached for him. Thorin could never deny her and approached, taking her hand. His other hand instinctively went to her stomach as he planted a loving kiss on her lips.

“How are you, amrâlimê?” he asked. (“My love.”)

“As well as I can be,” she replied. “The little one is anxious to greet the world.”

“You are going to do great,” he said.

He knew of her anxieties. Halfway through her pregnancy, she revealed her worries: carrying the child to term, the length of the pregnancy, the pain of child bearing, the state of the child’s health, whether the dwarves of Erebor would accept them. The list went on, but Thorin did everything in his power to relieve her worries.

Y/N suddenly inhaled again, her face twisting in pain. Thorin held her up as she hissed, trying to breath through the contraction. His hand moved behind her and pressed just slightly to massage her lower back. When it finally passed, Y/N looked down slightly at her husband. She was several inches taller than him, which the couple found slightly amusing.

“We are having some serious discussion when it comes to having more kids,” she said.

Thorin chuckled, pressing his forehead against hers.

“I will take all the children you give me, my love,” he replied.

Thorin shifted gently on the bed, doing his best not to disturb the two sleeping figures around him. Y/N was fast asleep, exhausted from her long labor. It had been difficult, as expected. She had gone into labor around midday and had given birth as the sun was rising the next morning. Thorin had done everything he could to keep her comfortable, including holding her during the contractions and birth. He had been extremely worried with how weak she was afterwards. Dís reassured him she would be fine, that she just needed sleep. Thranduil had even sent a healer just to check on Y/N and the baby.

Thorin looked down at his resting wife, smiling at her. Even asleep with a light sweat on her forehead and slightly tangled hair, she was beautiful. He could clearly remember when he first met her. It had been back before the quest had even begun. She had been passing through one of the local towns and wanted to buy a sword. It was pure luck that she arrived at the blacksmith shop where Thorin worked.

She had asked if he knew any warriors that could train her. She claimed to “not be from the area,” which Thorin had learned to be quite the understatement. She wasn’t even from Middle Earth originally. Thorin had offered to show her some things, but recruited Dwalin as well. The three trained for nearly a year before Y/N left town. Thorin hadn’t thought he would see her again, but they reunited when the company showed up in Rivendell, where she had been training with the elves.

She had changed in the time since he last saw her. She had put on a bit of muscle, but remained a healthy size. Her hair had grown a significant amount. When they first met, her hair was shorter than Bilbo’s. Thorin could remember when someone would comment about her “boyish” hair and how frustrated she would get. Nearly two years had passed and her hair had fallen midway between her jaw and shoulders. Y/N had insisted on joining them on their quest. Thorin had originally wanted to say no - no human woman should risk her life to help a group of dwarves. But both he and Dwalin knew her skills.

Looking back, Thorin couldn’t have been more grateful for her presence. She kept Fili and Kili out of trouble, though occasionally joining in herself. She provided excellent company to everyone, being beyond caring even when she herself was not at her best. She always made sure to provide encouraging words, being the voice of reason in many situations. 

She had even saved his life, and those of his kin.

She knew all along what would happen. She told him that after the fact, fearing the knowledge would somehow change events. She had had the company weave mithril into the coats of Fili, Kili, and himself. It had saved their lives on Ravenhill when they went after Azog while she had been in Dale. The only injury Thorin had truly received was a blade to the foot, something which Y/N scolded him about afterward. 

Now, nearly three years later, they were happily married and had a child. Erebor and Dale had both been restored to their former glory. Dwarves from the Blue Mountains returned home, including Thorin’s sister.

Thorin brushed his wife’s now long, curly hair away from her face. She shifted slightly, turning her head to face him, which made him smile. Suddenly, he felt the small body in his arms shift as well. Thorin looked down, a wide smile breaking onto his face. His son rested peacefully in his arms, snuggling into his father.

Thorin adjusted the child’s blanket so he could see his face better. He seemed to be the perfect mixture of his parents. His mother’s face with the Durin blue eyes. His hair was curly and a shade between his own and Y/N’s. He was perfect.

“Bunnanunê,” Thorin said softly. (“My tiny treasure.”) “Nothing brings me more joy than to see you finally with us.” 

“I feel replaced.”

Thorin chuckled and looked back at his wife, whose eyes were now open. They were sparkling with love as she gazed at her husband and child.

“Never, ghivashel,” Thorin told her. (“My treasure of treasures.”) “Nothing could ever replace you. My love for you is eternal.”

Y/N slowly sat up and kissed him.

“As is mine for you.” She looked at their son. “How is he?”

“Peaceful. I find it amusing since neither Fili or Kili were ever this quiet.”

“You say that now. Just wait until he starts crying during the night. And the boys have never been able to be tamed.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Thorin handed over the baby to his wife. She cradled him carefully, smiling down at him with love pouring out of her. It was something Thorin would never tire of. He knew how much she wanted to be a mother. “We still have to give him a name, you know.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t do so while I was asleep.”

“No, no. That was nearly Dís. You’re just lucky the boys haven’t gotten their hands on him yet.”

Y/N chuckled and gazed at their son, brushing her finger gently against his cheek.

“Why don’t we wait a little longer?” she proposed. “Let’s just enjoy being together first.”

Thorin carefully wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side so the three were connected. Y/N laid her head against Thorin’s shoulder.

“Of course, my one.”

#month of writing #writing prompt #thorin oakenshield #thorin #thorin oakenshield x reader #hobbit #thorin x reader

[oraclekleo]

[Interactive Stories]Painting - Part 02

Lee Soo Hyuk Story

Part 01

Painting

(Lee Soo Hyuk Story)

Part 02

Soo Hyuk turned to the gallery owner and told her he would like to buy the painting. The sparkle in her eyes was a clear sign she was about to skyrocket the price. Hyuk didn’t care. He couldn’t bear the idea of someone hanging this very intimate painting in their living room and showing it to guests debating about the investment and how the value of the painting will only grow when the artist is dead. Amateurs and dilettantes staring at the poor woman and discussing her enormous suffering while munching on single bites and sipping champagne. Hyuk had to give that painting some decent place to stay off public eyes and in privacy and peace.

As expected, the gallery owner handed Hyuk her calling card with a sum scribbled on it and it was even more than he would ever imagine. His better judgement was telling him it’s foolish to spend such money on a painting he knows so little about. All his instincts were screaming ‘Buy it’. It wasn’t his habit to listen to instincts over cold logic but this time he nodded and asked the gallery owner to prepare papers for signing. The woman smiled gently but her eyes glistened with greed and she left to prepare everything needed in her office. Hyuk remained by the painting and looked at it once again. It was impossible and yet it seemed to him as if the woman in the painting looked slightly relieved.

“You've been staring at this painting ever since we came, my friend.”

Hyuk only nodded and didn’t even look at Hong Jong Hyun. “I just bought it.” Hyuk said bluntly.

Jong Hyun looked at the painting. “Why?” He asked. “I mean, you’re not really a fan of figurative art if I remember correctly. You only have all those modern art pieces at home where I can’t tell what it is. Here it’s pretty clear what the painting depicts. And I would guess the lady isn’t even your type.”

“You are right about everything. And yet I bought it.” Hyuk handed Jong Hyun the calling card.

Jong Hyun’s eyes popped: “How much? Are you insane?”

“It seems so.” Hyuk pressed his lips. “I can’t explain it. All I know is that I have to have this painting. I have never done anything this reckless in my life.”

Jong Hyun gave the calling card back. “I guess we all need to do something purely intuitive once in a while. So! What’s the story of this painting? It looks like it’s gotta be intense.”

“I have no idea. The author is dead, he didn’t even give the painting a name and you can notice some details are unfinished. He clearly died before completing the painting. The model is an unknown woman. Although I wish to know who she is.”

“A mysterious art piece with dark unknown history, irresistible and invading your mind. That sounds like a great movie plot. Are we going on a quest to find out who’s the woman and if she’s real, are we going to track her down and meet in person?”

Jong Hyun clearly meant it as a joke but Hyuk just realised that this is exactly what he’s called to do. It felt as if the painting was incepting those thoughts in his brain. “You don’t have to help me but I’m going to find out who the model is.”

“For real?” Jong Hyun asked, slightly surprised. “Man! That one got under your skin fast. Alright then! What kind of a friend would let you investigate a possibly cursed painting on your own? I’m in! It’s not like I had anything better to do this autumn anyway. Let’s sniff that lady out!” Jong Hyun called but he bit his lower lip. “That sounded way weirder than in my head.”

The gallery owner came to invite them to her office. The formalities were handled quickly and Hyuk was promised to receive the painting the next morning. The gallery offered him an installing service for free. For that price they could also give him a free stay in Italian Venice.

“I would like to know something about the painting and the artist, some history of the piece.” Hyuk told the gallery owner.

“I’m afraid there’s not much to be told.” She quickly typed something on a keyboard and the printer next to her desk started buzzing. I’ll give you the full description we received with the painting.” She waited for the printer to be finished, put the loose papers in an aesthetic file with a gallery logo on it and handed it to Hyuk.

His first instinct was to open it and read it here but it didn’t feel polite. He waited till it was acceptable for him to leave the gallery. Jong Hyun was the driver tonight and Hyuk’s lift back home.

“What does it say?” Jong Hyun asked as they got stuck in a traffic jam.

“Nothing much, to be frank. The artist was a Swiss man named Basil Van Paar. He used to be a war zone journalist and photographer but then he dropped that and became an artist. He painted several members of European noble families. He lived alone, no wife, no kids. He was found dead in his apartment in Geneva 6 months ago. Cause of death was a heart failure. This painting was found on the easel covered with a cloth. Clearly he was about to start working on it when his heart stopped. His sister, who lives in Vienna in Austria, found a journal where Basil noted down various information about each of his paintings and all were covered there but this one. They couldn’t find a single note or a sketch for this painting. It looked like one day he started painting without any prep. Nobody knows who the woman on the painting is or whether she’s real or just some sort of a fantastic character, a mix of several people Basil put together in his mind.”

“Oh! So the quest might actually lead nowhere if the painting depicts only a fictional character?” Jong Hyun asked.

“Exactly.” Hyuk whispered and closed the file. They finally got through the jam and Jong Hyun stepped on acceleration.

Jong Hyun licked his lips. “But you are still determined to seek her.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes.” Hyuk agreed.

“What’s the first step?” Jong Hyun asked.

Check out Lee Soo Hyuk tarot readings:

Lee Soo Hyuk Kinky* Reading

Lee Soo Hyuk Relationship Role

Lee Soo Hyuk Ideal Partner

Lee Soo Hyuk - Love is a Battlefield

Lee Soo Hyuk - Shadow of the Moon

Thank you for reading!

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#oracle kleo #lee soohyuk scenarios #lee soo hyuk #lee soo hyuk scenarios #lee soohyuk #lee soo hyuk fanfic #lee soo hyuk imagines #interactive story #fanfic #fanfiction

[renren85105]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love❤

Thanks for asking me, Tee! 

This was a lot harder than I thought it would be and it took me a lot longer than I expected it to! These are not in any order after the first one, because I cannot rank them lol.

Houseboat of Love

I’m weak for exes to lovers and second chance at love fics, so when the prompt came up in the 2022 BJYX Week, I knew I had to try my hand at writing one. And it’s turned out to me my favorite of my fics, or maybe my favorite of my favorites, and based on stats alone I think it’s most people’s favorite of mine. I wanted to start at the new beginning for them, have Xiao Zhan unwilling to see Yibo again because he was afraid of his own remaining feelings and for Yibo to have never stopped loving Xiao Zhan, but he hasn’t been allowed to for some years and how he’s had to get on with living and making space for this love that doesn’t have anywhere to go. I know this makes the fic sound really angsty, but starting at the new beginning I think keeps it in the background, a hum of angst that pushes the story but isn’t the point of the story. And I loved writing tattooed buff Yibo doing the bat crunches and Xiao Zhan being so obviously thirsty for his ex-husband, I let him get goofy with it and it was so much fun to write. The whole fic was a joy to write, honestly. And I’m glad Tash told me to bring back the bit of what happened between them, even though she then (lovingly) yelled at me for what happened between them, because I think it really did make the story more well-rounded. This one was partially inspired by the Sweet Home Alabama movie, where the main character finds out her ex never filed the divorce papers - but I couldn’t bear to have Xiao Zhan be with anyone else in my version so that part of the plot is all I adapted to this story. My sleepwalking/sexsomnia fic was technically my first exes to lovers fic (it came out over a year later) but I feel like this one was my first real “break them up and get them back together because they love each other still” fic. And I’m glad so many have loved it as I have.

Love the Simulation I’m Dreaming In

I love this one because it is so much fun. It was so much fun to adapt this Golden Girls plot to Yizhan, I made several changes from the Love, Rose plot so it fit a) modern times and b) so Jackson & Yixing weren’t knowingly setting up Xiao Zhan to fall in love with their creation. In the GG episode, Rose finds her fake man in the phone book, and so I decided that a good update for that would be a hookup app. I loved making Xiao Zhan so damn dramatic (swanning around in a Shut Up robe and cooking stir fry for one despite the other two roommates being home, all because they weren’t there for his big announcement) and I made myself laugh with the ostrich feather conversation and so much of it. I’m just glad my humor comes across and other people find it funny too! Also Yibo is hot as fuck in this, if I do say so myself. And that’s always fun 😂

You Can't Rush the River

This one was my first ever gift exchange fic, and it was for my dear friend Elisa. I had seen the first season of the Witcher and read a couple of chapters of the book, but I’m largely too squeamish with gore to have played/watched the video games. I knew I could write it though, so I did my research and rewatched a couple of episodes and watched my husband play through a bit of the third game. The prompt asked for rivals to lovers, and I love that it turned out as a one-sided Yibo thinks they’re rivals, hated rivals, while Xiao Zhan has been flirting the whole 50 years they’ve known each other. The emotions after what for one was a hate handjob and for the other was the culmination of *decades* of dancing around each other was very satisfying to write. This one is special to me because it was crafted for someone else, but I also learned a lot about what I can accomplish if I want to do it.

Fireworks in the Stars

I’m extremely partial to this fic. Mostly because it’s a bit of an experiment with a world I’d like to write a full novel in (will that happen? I have no idea but it’s a goal!) So when the set of prompts from a server challenge fit the world I was playing with, I knew it was time to try to write something in it. I’m really happy with how that turned out, and it helped me figure out what worked in that world and what didn’t. I think it’s maybe my most sensuous story, with all the textures and the body paint. But I love the idea of breaking all the rules to find your love again, of meeting your special person in a situation where you're never supposed to see them again and how you can heal from that -- except the other person finds you before you can. Love it!

You Belong in my Arms & ad astra:

This feels like cheating, and maybe it is but i suppose you’ve read this far and will be okay with it, haha! So I think everyone knows that I love tentacles, and tentacle stories, so it was finally time to write my own. And guess what, as of this writing, there are still no sexy tentacles, but these boys have found each other and have yet to learn that they are each other’s fantasy. I have outlines for one last chapter, though if it gets long in the writing it may become two. I’ll write it all before publishing; I love this fic a great deal (octopus!Yibo has my entire heart) but publishing it as a wip without it being completed or at least a couple of chapters ahead has hung over me in a way that I don’t like. Each fic teaches you something about yourself I think, and that’s what I learned from this one. For ad astra, it is a Star Trek AU, which like the Witcher, I knew enough to be dangerous but also because I’d written You Can’t Rush The River I knew I could write this one too. And it was a joy, I’m in love with it still and I think I’ve read it the most out of all of my published projects. 

So there we have it! Many, many days later you have my top stories I’ve written, though I do love them all and this was a bit like having to choose a favorite child. Do you have a favorite of mine? I’d love to know! Tell me about it here or on the awful site 💖

#ask #yizhan #my fic #fanfic writer

[maverick-werewolf]

You keep coming up in searches, specifically your Werebear Part #2 post.

A few days ago I found a reference to eastern European shapeshifters that would put on a bear skin, sometimes just a belt, and turn into a bear.

But I can't find it now.

Volkolak was in the list but looking it up only gets me werwolf, or werewolf like, creatures. There were also other words for bear-men and the like but that's the only one I could stumble across when relooking.

I've tried searching up werebear info but I can't find it now.

I'm looking for for something like the Navajo skinwalkers but from eastern Europe. I feel like I've read or seen something like that in a movie. But I'm looking for something from folklore/mythology.

Any sources?

Please and thank you.

Thank you for asking! I'm glad you stumbled upon my work. :) I apologize in advance for the lengths to which I rambled in this post.

This is a huge topic for me, so I'm happy to take the question, as it comes up a lot in werewolf studies and shapeshifter folklore in general. Here's the root of the problem - if there were many, or any, stories about people turning into bears using bear skins (as we have with so many wolf skin legends), they no longer exist. They've been lost to time.

I mentioned them in my own post on "werebears" at the time because, in the past, I was willing to hold to the words of other scholars and bandy these ideas about, but today, I am not sure I'd do that. And my future professionally published works will reflect it. Let me explain:

It has become popular in modern scholarship, and thus leaked onto the internet abroad (where one need list no sources at all), to make broad declarations regarding "bear warriors" and "bear shapeshifters," etc., and declare that they were very much like the werewolf legends of the time periods, involving bear skins.

The trouble is, this is not necessarily true. Where are the sources? I have searched far and wide, and they're simply nowhere to be found. Even in scholarly publications, professional work, that makes these assertions, they are making such assertions based on guesswork and assumptions or even twisting what sources we have in order to suit their own concepts and arguments, rather than direct simple statements we can quote from elements such as the old sagas and scholars such as Emily Gerard.

One of the greatest sources we have on bear shapeshifters (along with many other subjects) is a book called The Book of Were-Wolves by Sabine Baring-Gould, who lived during the 1800s and one of whose primary specializations was specifically Scandinavian and Eastern European folklore, particularly in regard to shapeshifters.

It's important for me to note that I am going to have my own edition of his book coming out hopefully as soon as next month, with annotations and translations! Keep an eye out for my announcement here on my blog in only a few weeks! It's going to be my next big release, coincidentally.

Baring-Gould has several sections that discuss bear shapeshifters and related folklore, and in it he provides several sources of bear-warrior folklore, most notably the ones mentioned in my werebear post, like the Saga of Hrolf Kraki, which contains two bear shapeshifters. One undergoes a physical bear transformation at night, and the other spiritually possesses a bear body, undergoing no physical "true" transformation at all. The former was not, however, created by a bear skin - he was cursed by a witch, who struck him with a wolf skin, and he later turned into a bear. Outside of Baring-Gould, we also have some stories of bear-men who weren't shapeshifters, as I'm sure you've probably already found.

I wish I could point you to direct sources that are more in line with what you seek, but I'm afraid that even in my own searching for the mysterious and oft-discussed bear equivalent to several werewolf legends, I too have come up short. This has naturally led to me having researched them extensively and formed many strong opinions about scholars talking about something that we seem to have absolutely no sources for.

Although it is possible sources on this existed in the past and simply have been lost today, it's my personal belief that it's much more likely - as has been the case with a lot of folklore and various creatures, including but not limited to werewolves, vampires, and dragons - that these ideas were retroactively assigned to folklore after being picked up in the popular mindset. In other words: there were no direct or semi-direct bear equivalent shapeshifters to werewolves in Europe or Scandinavia, as that would be highly unusual for folklore anyway, and these ideas came purely from popular culture, with the assumption that they originated in folklore - but they actually did not.

Again, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Baring-Gould's work. And I, of course, highly recommend that the copy you pick up be the one I will have available in October. I have many annotations commenting upon specifically bear and other shapeshifter legends he discusses in his work, as well as noting modern scholarship that was published beyond Baring-Gould's time. I also have included a bibliography that may help you find further sources on this and similar topics. Even if you might not find exactly what you seek, I think you'll find his work and discussion of bear and other shapeshifters and other Eastern European myth interesting and potentially useful.

I hope any of this was helpful. This is a subject I have and always will continue to research and publish on, as I find it a fascinating mystery (and I am partial to the concept of the werebear, myself). I'll have further updates on this blog and in my future nonfiction works if/when I ever discover new (and by that of course I mean old) sources directly relating to bears and bear-shapeshifters.

Thank you again for asking, and hope you have a wonderful day!

#werebear #bear #bear shapeshifter #shapeshifter #shapeshifters #werebears #mythology #folklore #bear skins #asks #anonymous

[goodguynickachievement]

Favorite PN1 camper storyline? E.g. Elton and Mills’s relationship, Maloof and Mikhail becoming mobsters, that kinda stuff! ^.^

Clem and Crystal

I wish there were opportunities to appreciate Clem and Crystal's positivity. I had a feeling something was off regarding their sunshine demeanor. They're just kids! I don't remember saving Clem's brain but I remember the dialogue had with Crystal.

CONTENT WARNING: SUICIDE

It was something along the lines of Crystal attempting to jump off the roof because the poison didn't work. I was surprised as the sudden insert of that subplot, but not surprised that it's a very realistic reaction if this world does it best to snuff out others' candle.

So many questions about them: Why are they extremely happy? Did they have a background in which they were forced to be super positive? Were they usually this happy, when did those thought start? Who do I have to punt so they don't have to worry about being overly happy??

My heart was broken in finding out that they both actually attempted. I've known people who has attempted/had thoughts and thankfully lived.

Suddenly inserting it in a 2000s game, I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be written as a joke or something to make the player think twice.

In older cartoon gags, this would pass as it was a different time. Now in the modern age, this is something that caused me to pause and reflect more on their backstories, and if they actually survived when they're outside of their camp.

Did Raz think about them outside of camp, regretting telling them to shut up and such? Makes you really think.

To tell you the truth, I actually missed hearing them cheering for Raz during the second half of the story. They seemed like they'd be willing to help if someone asked them, and they were always participating in every activity.

From the perspective of one who's completed Psychonauts 2, I think they'd be good reinforcements at the Psychoisolation chamber with a little discipline on how to use indoor voices. Compton Boole could use some friendly agents!

Or even better, assistants for Coach Oleander! It seemed weird that the interns were assigned to mentors who had different interests than they did, so if the Psychonauts 1 campers became interns - It'd honestly be a mess. I think Oleander would be interested in recruiting them both as cheerleaders and happy sidekicks for his agent missions.

Maloof and Mikhail

The dynamic duo! I didn't see a lot of interactions with them except when during the near climaxing of the story. I REALLY hope they got to punt Bobby, and find the bear Mikhail was after.

I admire that Mikhail was always there for Maloof, and thought of him throughout the story. I liked how Maloof started out as afraid but was written to be brave in the end. They're very sweet children who didn't mind sticking around Raz despite his inner conflict. Mikhail remained the least unchanging but I'm glad to see that it was a consistent factor that didn't drastically change the storyline.

Other campers

I currently have no other thoughts on the other campers because I didn't interact with them as much.

Using the Dowsing Rod became a primary concern over wanting to read into everyone else's storyline. My opinions might change over time when I replay the game, we'll see!

My least favorite campers are currently Nils, Bobby, Elka, and the two girls that were making the friendship bracelets. Raz as a good spirit for being able to tolerate these people without yeeting them off the cliffs.

#psychonauts #psychonauts 1 #asks

[theunrealinsomniac]

Could you give me some Narusaku family headcanons?

Oof lol. See I have a lot of stories planned for Naruto, Sakura and their family lol. Cos I mean, I'm assuming you mean them and their kids?

Okay, let's see what I can not spoil lol.

NaruSaku Family Headcanon #1: Christmas is a big thing in the Uzumaki-Haruno household.

They go all out, even before the kids are born, before they're even married. Hell, before they're even dating!

Naruto spends every single Christmas with Sakura. In canon? He is invited over to the Haruno house when he's in his teens and Sakura's parents have warmed to him. He makes himself their favourite of Sakura's friends and possible boyfriends by the end of the first time he spends Christmas with them.

He is a charming young man and after spending a day with him? Anyone would find his child-like wonder at every tradition Sakura's family have endearing.

And deeply heart-breaking when her parents discover Naruto's never really celebrated Christmas properly before. He is immediately invited around for New Years and the following festive period.

But in my usual fare of Modern!aus, oh you don't even wanna know how ham Naruto's very large extended family go for Christmas. It spans *days*. Sakura and her family are invited to every day.

When Naruto and Sakura get married and have children, it only gets bigger and crazier.

It is their favourite time of year.

NaruSaku Family Headcanon #2: Naruto and Sakura are fun parents. They're not afraid to be strict and be Mum and Dad, when they need to be, but their default setting is Fun.

This has led to endless trips to theme parks, the cinema, laser tag and bowling. Video games and even, when Ichika mentioned an interest in it? Camping.

All six of them loaded into Naruto's old battered Jeep, which was somehow still running, and went out to the nearest campsite they could find.

They had a whale of a time. They had massive tent, with one section for the boys, one for the girls and one for Naruto and Sakura, and then a big communal area for their gear and clothes.

If Sachi had been a little older they'd have listened to the whining about wanting their own tent but given all four of the Uzumaki children were under twelve at this point, it wasn't happening.

They soon stopped complaining on the first night when, being the city kids they were, all four got spooked by a noise in the nearby woods and refused to sleep anywhere other than where their parents were for the rest of the night.

Naruto just laughed as they barrelled screaming for their Mum and Dad, and he wrapped all four of them up in a group bear hug, making his children and wife laugh along with him when he pulled Sakura in too.

They had a few more camping trips as a family, but all four of the children would later admit that their favourite was the first.

NaruSaku Family Headcanon #3: Sakura loves being a mum. She has her insecurities about it, as all parents do, but she loves being the mother to her children.

And her favourite sound is the sound of her children giggling in the other room.

But the sound she's learned to fear most ... is silence. When you have one child silence is worrying.

When you have four?

It's terrifying.

And when your four children share your husband's DNA and enough of his personality and complete lack of awareness of consequences for foolishness ... silence in your house fills you with dread like no horror film could ever match.

She has told stories to her parents, in-laws and friends about what she's found her kids doing that make *them* go grey.

And most of them very glad they stopped at two or three.

Kiba and Hinata however, can match Sakura and Naruto story for story and are always the most sympathetic and ready to be back up emergency parents to the Uzumaki brood.

But still, she wouldn't change a freckle on their faces for all the peace in the world.

And neither would Naruto.

Thanks for asking!

I tried to mix in some other family members this time when I realised you might not have just meant Ship and their kids lol.

#ask theunrealinsomniac #narusaku #naruto uzumaki #naruto #sakura haruno #sakura uzumaki #narusaku headcanons #uzumaki family #headcanons

[haleviyah]

may i ask what your religious beliefs are? sorry, tryna get my bearings. if you don’t want to answer it’s okay

Personally, I do not have any religious beliefs.

To provide some background, I was born and raised Roman Catholic (Latin American Branch), however I converted to Baptist Christianity (or Southern Baptist to some) in my tweens. So I am very familiar with communion, confirmation, baptism and the unnecessary feud between Protestants and Catholics. Yes, I know almost every Easter and Christmas film they feature each year on television. Yes, I can name the Saints and Angels off the bat. I know of the modern approaches of evangelism such as “Heaven is For Real”, The Kendrick Bros and Kirk “The Gabber” Cameron.

However, after learning of Jewish culture divorced from the church I just fell away and to say it was an ugly breakup would be an understatement.

I don’t view things as “if I do this then I’ll receive that” or “works make freedom” mentality. I don’t look to G-d for hand outs or moral brownie points, he’s more than that. If someone loves then they have a need to be loved, right? I simply honour the nature of Love (G-d’s personality) to express itself wether I like it or not. Heck, I’m not afraid to rebuke him if necessary.

I do also believe in Messiah (the unction of salvation) but I don’t see it as a cult of personality. To me it’s rather an essence of the Creator living in you, rather than a single man carrying a million people on his shoulders out of obligation/entitlement.

I will clarify I have not lost respect nor lost admiration for the Rebbe of Nazareth; we may butt heads on one thing or another, but there is nothing malicious in my heart towards him. So don’t assume that I or any Jew in existence hate him. Far from it! We all collectively agree to allow the man to rest his case and rest in peace knowing his faith in others to understand the Jewish mind and heart will come to pass.

Now, I’m not trying to advertise Judaism as something other than a culture. If you do plan on studying it you need to be willing to sacrifice your doctrines on the altar, be prepared for the tables to be flipped around in your face and everything being multiple-dimensions.

#qna #author's blog #rose of sharon #rose of sharon comic #religion #Christian #Catholic #Judaism #personal growth

[oveliagirlhaditright]

Home is Where the Hearts Is

Summary: Kairi doesn't like Quadratum. SoKai. A fic written for SoKai Day 2022. KHIV fic. Oneshot.

Home is Where the Heart Is

Sora knew almost instantly upon her arriving there, that Kairi didn’t like Quadratum.

And it was something that the kind Princess of Heart hid pretty well, since Sora told her that they would have to stay in Unreality for a few days, in order for him to wrap things up, before they could go home.

The Keyblade Master knew that Kairi was trying to give this new world the chance that Sora had finally done so in the end… but as Kairi gazed at the monochrome buildings all around her on the days they would explore the city, it was almost like they were stealing the light from her usually so vibrant eyes, Sora couldn’t help noticing.

“What is it about this place that grinds your gears so much?” Sora finally found himself asking Kairi, on day three of their adventure, when he couldn’t bear to see her like this any longer, nor to beat around the bush anymore. They were getting an ice cream in Miyashita Park now, so Sora prayed that it would help take the edge off of what might prove to be a tough conversation.

Kairi was trying. She really was. For instance, she’d taken to skateboarding on some of the railings of this world—even though skateboarding was more difficult in Unreality than back home—like the best of them; and curiously enough, Kairi did enjoy the very modern thing called “virtual reality,” but was afraid of many big screen TVs playing around her all at once. But was Kairi happy in this place that was met to be the Child of Destiny’s kingdom, as well of the Realm of Light was? It was clear that she wasn’t.

“I…” Kairi started. After she was done gaping like a fish, for Sora having guessed what her real feelings were, he guessed.

And the brunet wondered if she was going to say that it was the world selection system here that bothered her so. And if she was, Sora certainly couldn’t begrudge Kairi that. It had taken him forever to figure out how to get to Endor, after all. Give him a gummi ship any day, he thought.

But then Kairi said the simple truth that he should have known all along.

“Well, for one thing, it took you away from us for too long, Sora. And as wrong as it is to blame it for that, I find that I do.”

And at once, Sora felt like the biggest jerk in the world, for not having realized that this was where Kairi’s heart lied.

“Oh, Kairi! It’s okay!” Sora exclaimed, bringing the princess into his embrace now, as the two of them got out of the line and stood beside a bench.

And seeming embarrassed—and was he imagining tears streaming from her eyes and now wetting his shirt?—Kairi buried her face against his chest.

Talking about negative emotions was still sometimes hard for Kairi, since she knew that if she didn’t have a special heart, it would have led to darkness within her. And she almost felt like she was betraying her Princess of Heart status by feeling them at all, so then she hated herself for that betrayal. “I promise that it’s okay. You’re allowed to feel these things. And I want you to tell me when you do, okay?” Sora reassured his girlfriend again, running a hand through her lovely red hair as he did so.

Kairi chuckled at his reassurance—or maybe it was just his hand in her hair, perhaps it had tickled her—and that seemed to sober her up some, so that she could talk about another thing that she didn’t like about Quadratum. “I also don’t like that store that says ‘Loser.’ I know it’s not actually a store. It’s really a charity: and it’s trying to encourage people to come in and willingly ‘lose’ some of their money to help the less fortunate out, but you’d think they could have come up with a better name for it.”

“Yeah, they definitely could’ve!” Sora for sure agreed with that one. He’d felt the same way when he’d first come across the place, and it was for that reason he’d partly hoped that Kairi wouldn’t see it. But she’d just happened to see a banner advertising it, when he’d shown her the building he’d stood atop when he fought Yozora the first time.

“And I’ll tell you a reason that I don’t like Quadratum, Kairi: because it’s not home. And that’s definitely something that counts against it, isn’t it?

“In fact, that’s why Riku’s already packed his bags and gone home, in knowing that I’m safe and in good hands with you,” Sora said, as he slumped down in the pretty grass of Miyashita Park and pulled Kairi down with him. She giggled at that. Especially when a butterfly landed on her nose.

“Too true,” his girl agreed. She gazed into Sora’s eyes then, and Sora thought that she was about to say something about him being her true home, anyway, but then seemed to think better of it, since that would be too cheesy. “But I swear I really don’t hate Quadratum, Sora. I may not have yet come to love it like you have, but if nothing else, the sightly lights in the evening speak to my heart.”

Sora looked at Kairi then. Really looked at her. She was so beautiful and amazing, with her poetic words as always. And he would never regret that he had used the Power of Waking to save her and had ended up here in response to that. He would do so again a million times if he had to for her, in fact.

But wanting to be somewhat poetic like Kairi—if he was her mate, and he was—Sora responded to her with, “Then it’s perfect that we’re going to make a portal to go home tonight. You can look at the ‘sightly lights’ one more time, and then back to the Islands it is!” Just like they’d always wanted to return there and stay!

“Back to the islands it is,” Kairi purred, delicately kissing Sora’s cheek upon snuggling into his lap.

And no words had ever sounded so beautiful.

Author's Note: This story was inspired by me honestly not knowing what we would do in Quadratum after a while—so I guess it’s a good thing that we CAN go to other worlds from there—it honestly doesn’t feel very KH-y to me, and there’s a part of me that’s not that excited about it. So I’m also glad that eventually Sora will be going home, of course, and we’ll also be seeing Realm of Light shenanigans throughout. So I decided to write the idea of Kairi not liking Quadratum (I guess Kairi’s basically my spokesperson here). Because while I don’t think Sora will like it at first either, I think he will eventually. He's Sora. Also, though it’s not a place: there IS a sign that says “loser” that you can see when you fight Yozora in the secret episode of Re:Mind. LOL. For the purposes of this story, I decided to turn it into a location. Happy SoKai Day!

#kh #kingdom hearts #sokai #sokai day #sokai day 2022 #fluff #romance #some dealing with things #sora #kairi #a khiv fic #shanna writes #my work #mine #oneshot

[ryttu3k]

Gonna play the new Parliament of Knives DLC as a Malkavian!

"I am of Clan Malkavian: enigmatic and shrewd, feared and grudgingly respected. A traveler shadows my path—an ethereal companion whom only I can perceive. Disciplines: Dominate, Obfuscate, Auspex. (Recommended for experienced players who have already completed the game once.)"

...By which I mean I'm playing Sascha. I'll be playing Sascha as Malkavian, with the Dracon as the unseen companion. (They're gonna join the Sabbat, natch.) (Look it makes sense for the narrative. Corliss and Symeon would probably have a lot to talk about.)

Big spoilers for the Malk-specific storyline, content warning for memory manipulation.

Backgrounds for a Malk - university professor, paramedic, or actor. Went with the professor, boosted intelligence and manipulation and the other two super didn't fit.

"Oh, hell," Dracon mutters. "Dick move, Lang. If anything should be questioned, it's his choice in robes. Blood-red? At this time of year?"

ngl the modern - and snarky - commentary the companion can have is lowkey hilarious when you've made them an ancient methuselah. In a red leather jacket, because red is a theme.

Oh fascinating, Ophelia can apparently see him (even if she's denying it). I guess he's not just a hallucination, then?

Lucca has art now! Hi, Lucca's face!

"Uggh," Corliss grunts. "I've met Ferals more polite, and yet somehow she always manages to win us all over in the end. At least she runs a clean Elysium." She shakes her head.

Dracon grunts. "Clean is a relative term. I bet Corliss wouldn't enjoy looking over Elysium with a black light and some luminol."

Eww.

lmao was that a reference to Sins of the Sires? Yes, definitely best to steer clear of Athens!

"You know we can't leave Ottawa right now," you say. "There's enough chaos here as it is without the Seneschal's childe taking an unscheduled sabbatical."

"That's just an excuse and you know it." Dracon shimmies out of the pile of furs and drops them on the ground where they slowly fade from view. His face grows stony. Maybe even angry. "He won't let you leave and you don't even know."

"He?" you ask. "What are you talking about?"

His image twitches and reality seems to twist around it for several seconds until he's whole again. "I can't tell you."

"What do you mean, you can't tell me?" This is starting to get disturbing. You've never seen him act this way before. "You can't hide anything. You're part of me!"

And suddenly you're yelling at the empty street and Dracon is gone as if he never existed. You're used to him coming and going, but the timing of this disappearance is suspect and deeply concerning. Come to think of it, something else is odd - you can't remember Dracon ever pushing to leave the city before. But there'd been something almost desperate about this request. Something slipping, as if he was afraid and wanted to get as far away as possible.

Intriguing :o I wonder if a Malk PC's companion has anything to do with Arundel's memory manipulations?

Ooh, Lucca has her own plotline now. Neat! I kind of want her to meet Benoit (and fight him).

Three parishioners kneel before an altar veiled by a delicate black fabric bearing the symbol of a stylized crown. You could swear you've seen it before but can't quite place it. You see no sign of whoever had cried out, and the praying mortals don't seem to have noticed or been bothered by it enough to be moved from their supplications. Lucca hisses when she sees the banner, but she says nothing, only watches intently as a tall, thin man in priest's robes approaches the altar. His vestments have been dyed a bright royal purple, emblazoned with dazzlingly intricate white embroidery. He greets his flock with a predatory smile, eyes flashing in the candlelight with silent yearning.

"Father Moretti," the woman in the center of the trio says as she lowers her head ever further, as though she dare not gaze into the priest's eyes. "Will you bless us, tonight?" The request is chased by an eerie moaning from the other two kneeling parishioners. Your senses catch fire with a bestial desire. The smell of blood radiates from Moretti in invisible waves, leaving you momentarily stunned.

You're starting to get a pretty good idea of what's going on here.

Ten bucks says Lasombra Sabbat!

Moretti looks like he's going to laugh again, but his expression suddenly goes cold. "You're serious?" He pauses in thought. "Then you must be little Lucca! The old man told me a lot about you before he died. How he saved you - hauled you back from the brink of oblivion. I think he regretted his choice of words when the darkness swallowed him up."

Oh that's rude as hell. One thing to say for V5, making threats about Oblivion does work better than threats about Obtenebration.

"Dracon?" you ask. "Is that you?"

"For now." Yes, you can see him now - the light is dimming. "I can only protect you for so long. The bars are getting stronger and the light will swallow us up. I don't know how much longer I can fight it."

"What are you talking about? What is the light?"

"Revelation."

"A truth, then? Why protect me from the truth?"

Dracon shakes his head "The truth is a prison you can't escape and I'm the only thing standing in its way. I can't let that happen to you again..."

Oh fascinating. The companion as someone trying to protect the Malk PC from an unpleasant truth - what Corliss and Arundel did, maybe?

Sweet, relationship with Ward is good enough that he told the truth about the exhibition. Honestly, I'm aiming for Sabbat but Anarch is a solid second choice here.

"Don't look at me," Dracon says with a shrug. "I haven't been listening since the second time the kid said the word 'soulmate.' If we drink from him, do you think we'll start writing shitty poetry and three-chord love songs? I'm down if you are."

"I'm sorry, what did you ask?" you say, pointing at the stage. "It's a bit loud in here."

"I asked if you've ever lost a soulmate?" he says. "The person you know you were meant to be with."

"This really needs to be a drinking game," Dracon says. "We'd die a second time, but from alcohol poisoning."

*snorts*

Oh neat, Basaras has art now. I am... admittedly very leery about him, Jewish rep in VtM has, um, been a bit hit and miss XD;;

Aw man decisions decisions. I want to see what's up with Lucca and continue the possible Sabbat storyline, but Haidt has ancient texts... okay, Lucca it is.

Yeah I can definitely see why a practising Catholic would have issues with the Lasombra!

"You've seen him too! You know where he's hiding."

Caught off-guard by the strange suggestion, you're dumbstruck for several seconds before you can reply. Maybe she really can see Dracon! "See who?" you ask carefully.

"Arundel, of course," she says. "I can see the signs of his work all over you. But if you were part of the plan, why he didn't tell me?"

"Plan?" you ask. "What plan?"

Ophelia watches you closely, meticulous eyes marking your every facial twitch and expression as she reads you. "You really don't know," she says, a touch of disappointment in the voice. "Something is blocking you. Holding you back. It's that creature, isn't it? The one shadowing your footsteps."

"I knew she could see me!" Dracon says. "But what the hell is she talking about?"

Oh intriguing.

Ophelia frowns. "My point is that you are wearing a blindfold entirely of your own design. Your aura is radiant - you possess the ability to see beyond sight - and yet you choose to hide in the darkness!" She composes herself and brushes her hair back from her shoulder with delicate fingers. "Let the light in, childe. It really is that simple."

Hmm. Did the Malk PC invent the companion to protect their mind?

Dracon shakes his head. "You know Ophelia's tricks, Sascha - you've read Corliss's files. Don't let her get in your head. It's how she operates. She thinks she's sown a seed in your mind, and you know what?"

"What?"

"She's right. 'Cause I can see that sprout already starting to grow. The light she was talking about? It would nurture that plant of hers until its thorns tear you apart - then she'll come to you offering a solution to the very problem she caused. That kind of 'light' is bad news, Sascha. Trust me."

Man. Two fascinating elements to play with, here - the Malk clan story, and the Lasombra stuff with Lucca. Both neat angles.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Dracon asks. He's standing beside you, staring out over the peaks of steel and glass - the bones and skin of the only home you've ever known. "There's so much I've never seen, Sascha. So many wonders I'll never know." He looks over to you. "What do you think it's like? The sun?"

Man. That feels in-character.

"The truth is that the barriers are breaking down faster than I can build them." The sun grows warmer as it rises above the skyline, back-lighting the city-scape until it stands as pure obsidian - a black set of jagged, diseased teeth. The warmth is no longer comforting. In fact, you're burning up. "What barriers?" you ask. You raise a hand in a vain attempt to shield yourself from the light. Your skin is starting to blister and peel away, leaving only brittle white bone in its wake as flesh sloughs to the ground. "What barriers?!"

The brilliance pierces you, lances of light cutting to your very spirit, stripping worldly excess until all that remains is a glistening shard. The core of you.

You begin to remember. The villa. The training. All of it coming back in waves. And at the heart of it is Prince Arundel. Always Arundel fanning the fires of your spirit, breaking and re-making you until the end of time. Until he makes you whole again.

The sun winks out.

...whew.

And he doesn't remember any of that in the morning? Fascinating. If the companion is a construct of the Malk PC, then it could be an unconscious/suppressed memory thing, but if they are their own individual, maybe it's only in dreams/other odd moments that they're able to slip past the Dominate memory removal?

Back to Lucca! Her gift sounds interesting as hell, honestly. Wonder what Corliss' is?

The synagogue looms over the sidewalk, darkened windows staring out at the streets of Ottawa with hostility, as though all joy has been drained from within its walls, leaving only malice and deep-seated resentment. You're certain that this was once a place of celebration and worship, but that was before Basaras arrived. After seeing what Father Moretti did to St. Anthony of Padua, you can only wonder what Basaras has wrought here.

I want him out >:(

"Of course," Dracon says. "Why not make things even more dangerous? Let's hoof it into the dark, shadow-filled tunnel when there's a Lasombra assassin lurking around. Great fun."

Naturally XD

The companion immediately refutes that Corliss may not be the PC's sire. Interesting.

"The truth..." Dracon says. "Always the truth, with you! A mortal can drown in truth, but with eternal life you can never really drown. You just get washed away and never come back. Lost forever."

You shake your head. "I don't understand what you mean."

"You will."

Oof.

"This is a mistake," Dracon says with what almost feels like a whimper. "But I guess I couldn't keep you safe forever." And suddenly he's gone—you can't feel his presence anywhere in your mind. This isn't the first time something like this has happened, and you know he'll come back once he's worked through whatever it is he's working through, but the sudden emptiness makes you feel numb. What is he so worried about and why does he want to keep it from you so badly?

Is the companion *literally* the memory block? Like the personification of it?

"You'd take zhim away from me?" Corliss's victim asks when she comes up for a breath, her mouth stained with thick vitae. "You thought I'd just let that go? You wouldn't even know how to use zhim!" She stabs Corliss again and twists the knife, eliciting an agonized scream before your sire manages to disengage and recover her wits.

"Everything you learned - we thought it was you doing the digging on your own!" Corliss gasps. "But it was just the childe! You're nothing, Grace! Less than nothing!"

Grace closes the gap and kicks Corliss in the ribs, sending her smashing against the window, cracking it with the weight of the blow. "I was unstoppable before the shielding! I was always in control!" She kicks her again, bloody froth coming to her lips as she grinds her teeth with fury.

Ooh man that's more detail, I think.

She points at you. "Zhe's the one! The childe we've been looking for. We can salvage this, Arundel. Zhe's ours, now!"

Somewhere in the back of your mind you can hear Dracon urging you to run. But it's not Dracon as you know him today. He's simpler when viewed through the memory. Less experienced. More of an instinct than any real personality. Oh, how he's grown over the years.

Arundel strokes his chin thoughtfully. "You may be right," he says after several seconds while he looks you over like a prime cut of meat. We'll need a cover story. The childe is useless to us if we can't keep zhim out in the open where zhe can use zhir gift."

So their mindwipe and adoption by Corliss wasn't just random, oh whoops Grace's childe saw the whole thing, better cover it up? I wonder if this is a Malk-specific thing too, or if this is a new change in the old scene.

"That's what it looks like, yes," Dracon says. "I was so sure that you'd lose yourself when his instructions were revealed."

"So you hid the memory from me," you say. "You're saying you did it to protect me?"

"To protect us. And I can't outright hide memories, either - if you really wanted to know, then you'd know."

...makes sense. Still, how was Ophelia able to sense him? And what are these gifts?

"Something is blocking you from reaching your true potential. A construct living in your mind. We Children of Malkav are blessed with gifts beyond that of other Kindred. We have insight into other worlds, other slices of reality. I see a recurring obsession in you that nearly mirrors my own: a fascination with the concept of 'truth.' You could be so much more than you are now and I can show you the way. But first, you must exorcise this demon from your mind. Make no mistake - it is enemy, not friend."

Hm. Yeah, Ophelia definitely sees the companion as malicious.

"Sometimes people hide things from themselves," you say. "It doesn't take an elder like Arundel to manipulate memories when you can do it to yourself."

"And so, what, you want to listen to Ophelia and... kill me off just to learn something you already know? Did you ever consider that if there's something hidden in your subconscious, that it may be hidden from me, too? Or that it's hidden for a very good reason?"

I'm... getting a vibe of how with DID, people talk about reintegration of alters formed from trauma?

Yeah going the slightly more violent option in siding with the Anarchs. Since. Well. Silchester XD;;

Dracon runs his palm along the column, eyes unfocused as if he's lost in thought. He looks back toward the road, then over to the river flowing quietly past the villa. "This relationship between us," he says. The words are slow, drawn out with a great weight, a deeper meaning than you're able to understand. "We were born here, in a way." His gaze reaches your own and for a moment you stare into each others' eyes. "At least this incarnation. Maybe it's finally time for us to return to where it all started." And then he's gone, ghostly form blown away by the wind. The empty air speaks. "Be on your guard. I can't protect you inside this place."

Oh dang, Arundel did have something to do with him?

"Hey," Ward says. His curious shift in tone causes you to turn and look at him. "I'm glad you decided to do this with me. Arundel and I go way back. Sevinc can't understand that, or maybe she doesn't want to. I don't know. But for some reason Arundel thought that you were special. Important. He put the key to finding him inside your brain. In his own weird way, that's trust."

Yeah that is giving me vibes of like. The Eldest going, "Hey, you're going to be the protector of my most beloved childe! That's trust!" and poor Myca being, "Thanks.........."

Ah. Well. That was not Haidt this time.

"We're in Athens - the Erechtheion to be specific. You said that you wanted to visit Europe and I've always been fascinated by the Acropolis. This was the best I could do on short notice. At first I was thinking of taking us to Prague, but the city's been a bit of an uncomfortable place for Kindred lately. Not that Athens is much better; I hear the Prince here is a real piece of work."

lmao that's a reference to Bloodhunt and Sins of the Sires. Super curious what you get if you say you want to visit, say, Australia.

A small crack forms in the sky above and a soft feminine voice filters through, somehow sounding close enough to be right beside you, yet simultaneously everywhere and nowhere. "He's hiding the truth, Sascha," Ophelia says. "Selfishly blocking out your true nature so he can live out this fantasy in your mind."

"Don't listen to her," Dracon cautions you. "She doesn't understand half of what's going on in here."

"You have to let go," Ophelia says from above. "Dracon isn't real. He's a way to hide the terrible truth and even more terrible power. Your true sire locked your abilities away before Corliss could steal you from her. She created a personality construct as a gatekeeper."

Oof, so Grace created him. To hide... what?

"At first they weren't," Dracon says. "But then they realized something right before that memory of yours kicked in. You even heard them talking about it while you were under. The power they were looking for wasn't Grace's at all - it was yours."

You shake your head. "That's ridiculous. If I'm so powerful, why haven't they been able to use me? I'm no better than any Malkavian with a few decades of experience under their belt. What am I missing?"

Dracon looks down at his feet. "Corliss couldn't access your abilities. Neither could Arundel. If they'd been able to, your un-life would have been a lot different. You'd be nothing more than a tool."

"So what stopped them?" you ask. "Two of the most powerful Kindred in the country couldn't force a fledgling to do their bidding? I don't buy it."

Dracon looks back up at you, eyes smoldering red coals. "They failed because I was standing in their way."

Or not.

Aww man so many choices!

True ability: being able to see through altered memories. That's... pertinent.

Wow Grace is a piece of work!

Oh that's not a fun choice. Biiiig big decision here. I imagine there's probably an achievement for both, so. I guess I'll see what that comes to in another run!

Yep, there's the achievement for one of them :(

"A fair question, all things considered." Arundel retrieves two additional boxes of ammo from the hollow and checks over his weapon while he speaks. It's daunting how quickly he's gone from a paralyzed cadaver to an all-business killing machine. "Aside from my departed mortal guests, the only Kindred who knew about this getaway of mine was my beloved Eden Corliss, herself. Present company excluded."

You sense something strange when Arundel speaks - a sensation you haven't felt in the waking world for quite some time. The Prince's memory has been altered! Someone else knew about his hidden sanctum, but erased his memory of that knowledge. You see the floating image of a crown. Another Prince, perhaps?

Oooh. Annabelle, maybe?

Oh yeah a city run by Ventrue and Malkavians definitely would have a lot. Of altered memories.

Well, that's the Malk version of the Golden Ending, looks like! Didn't get to finish Lucca's story arc - I think I'd have to romance her for that, same as how I only got Jordan's full arc with a romance and haven't done Qui's yet - or the Sabbat, but there will be other runs! Loved the Malk storyline, that's cool as hell.

Final stats: 0 in Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina lmao, 0 in Resolve whoops, 3 in Composure, 4 in Charisma, Manipulation, and Intelligence, 5 in Wits. Personality scores ended up being 51:49 Ruthless to Cordial (gotta be polite!), 59:41 Subversive to Loyal.

Neat as hell. Probably won’t do a run with Sascha and the Dracon again, but definitely doing another Malk run, and this time doing the opposite choice. Also still to do: a Lasombra run (still haven’t done the leaving-Ottawa-with-Anarchs ending, that could be fun with them), a Lucca romance run, still got to work out how to do a Sabbat run, and still haven’t done a Qui run.

#vampire the masquerade #vtm parliament of knives

[rainbowvamp]

an unsent letter: 1800

Am I wrong to say that people always panic at the new century? As though the years we created, arbitrarily, mean anything to God or whatever thing they pray to. It amuses me, sometimes, to listen to them expound the death of the modern world, and the beginnings of the decay of society, and to have lived through every other person, and every other society, who thought the same thing in my long and mostly happy life.

Is this the way you feel about people, my friend? Do we amuse you with our incessant fears and designs. I think I have been afraid too long of loving you. Highly so, perhaps, but no more. I will not let that fear control me. I cannot control who I love, or for how long. Perhaps my feelings will fade and perhaps they will not. It doesn’t bear thinking about. I accept my love for you, even if it’s possible you may not. You need never know if I never say, and worrying about things usually just compounds them, in the long run. I have been alive long enough to know that much, at least. 

I have spent the better part of 100 years in love with you, and known it for nearly 20. Whether you know or not, this is now I feel. When you fight a thing like this, I think you make it impossible to ignore. 

So, I took a deep breathe and promised myself that, this century, I would let myself love you without judgement. Not my own judgement passed against me, or the judgment I assume you would pass against me. Who does it help to imagine the worst case scenario. I consider myself to be an optimist, and I think you would agree with that sentiment. It doesn’t fit me to be so bound to pain and suffering I create for myself. There is so much good in the world to live for, and what a lucky man I am to have the privilege of knowing you enough to love you. Or, knowing of you enough to love you.

Sometimes I think this can’t be real. I have never loved someone who I knew so little about, but I do know you, a bit. I know your smile is wry and your eyes are sharp. I know your tongue is wicked and you have the power to grant immortality and the ability to tell beautiful stories. Shakespeare be damned, but he did write some good stuff. 

I know that you looked at me across a table when I was barely a man and you saw me, same as ever, with compassion in your eyes. I know you bought me food without asking anything in return or expecting anything in recompense. I know that you warn me against harm and capture, and you care enough for my safety to insist on it. I know you looked at me with those eyes that speak without saying anything, an emotion intangible but so raw. I felt like you must care, somehow, in some benign way, for me. I think this is enough for me. Maybe one day, you will call me friend as I call you friend. Maybe one day I will learn what your lips taste like, learn what your skin feels like. Learn the contours of your body beneath my hand. 

And maybe I won’t. But isn’t it wondrous that I have the opportunity even to think about the possibility? 

Life is so rich. I’ll leave the self-flagellation to the Christians. I refuse to pine like it’s a bad thing, a wrong thing, to love you. I do love you, and I wouldn’t undo it for anything in the world.

Because the only way I think I could stop loving you would be if we never met. 

Happy New Year, Dear Stranger. I hope it meets you well.

AO3

#lore's dreamling letters

[furtivitee]

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INTERACTIONS. i am open to just about all genres and methods of interactions, but bear in mind that i am mutuals only, and i reserve the right to refuse any interaction for my own personal reasons and comfort. anything suggestive will be properly tagged, and anything outright explicit be placed under a read more in addition to tagging. i'm open to crossovers, multiverses, oc interactions and any other character under the sun, really, so never be afraid to approach me (even if you have absolutely no idea who gaz is). i do not follow or interact with minors, and this blog is 21+ for my own comfort. i do check every blog that follows me, even if i don't do so immediately; if you're a minor and i notice you following me, i will block you. this blog does not use icons but, feel free to use or not use them as you please !

ACTIVITY. unfortunately, i am busy and work often, and i am at the mercy of my fluctuating energy levels. as such, this blog has low/sporadic activity. sometimes i will be high activity for days or even weeks, and sometimes getting things written here will be very difficult for just as long. all i kindly ask is that you be patient with me when it comes to replies, especially ones that are on the longer side. i will get to them, and will never abandon a thread without notice. also please note that this is not my main blog !! if i'm not around on this blog i will most likely be here.

DRAMA, CALLOUTS, ETC. i am not here for drama, so don't involve me in it. i quite literally do not care what personal issues you have with another random tumblr user. i don't want to see it. i don't want anything to do with it. do not come to me with it. i will block you immediately. any problem you have with me can be resolved privately or not at all. i will not ever reblog or engage with callout posts. most times i won't even completely read them, if at all. please do not ever come into my inbox telling me about something or someone you may have seen me interact with, if we are not friends. i will form my own opinions and respond accordingly in private.

MAINS & EXCLUSIVES/AFFILIATES. i am open to mains and exclusives. however, that will require a considerable amount of trust and interaction beforehand, and i reserve the right to break either, should i no longer feel comfortable with it. if we are not comfortable as friends out of character, i will likely not be mains or exclusives with you.

if you've made it this far, i appreciate you greatly for taking the time to read this! my name is lex. i'm 28, and my pronouns are they/them. i am not new to tumblr rp and have been doing so since 2012, but i am new to the cod/mw community so like...don't be a dick maybe. i have only played the modern warfare reboot campaigns, so keep that in mind when interacting ! discord is available to mutuals upon request.

#PINNED ; LEX / 28 / THEY THEM

[siabann]

— ❝ 𝙺𝙰 - 𝙵𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙺𝙸𝙽𝙶 - 𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙼, 𝙱𝙰𝙱𝚈 !

#𝚂𝙸𝙰𝙱𝙰𝙽𝙽 : LOW ACTIVITY, MUTUALS ONLY & ICONLESS BLOG FOR 𝙹𝙾𝙷𝙽 "𝚂𝙾𝙰𝙿" 𝙼𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙰𝚅𝙸𝚂𝙷 OF THE 𝙲𝙰𝙻𝙻 𝙾𝙵 𝙳𝚄𝚃𝚈: 𝙼𝙾𝙳𝙴𝚁𝙽 𝚆𝙰𝚁𝙵𝙰𝚁𝙴 𝚁𝙴𝙱𝙾𝙾𝚃. HEAVILY AFFILIATED WITH @phasmasum.          「 𝗗𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗘𝗥. 𝗣𝗜𝗡 𝗕𝗢𝗔𝗥𝗗. 𝗔𝗦𝗞 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗧𝗦. 」

RULES & GUIDELINES

WARNINGS & TRIGGERS. any warnings/triggers you would think apply to war and soldiers of war apply to this blog. that includes: violence, blood, gore, death, ptsd, guns, drugs, alcohol, etc. they will be present fairly often, so if any of those things bother you, please do yourself a favor and don't follow.

INTERACTIONS. i am open to just about all genres and methods of interactions, but bear in mind that i am mutuals only, and i reserve the right to refuse any interaction for my own personal reasons and comfort. anything suggestive will be properly tagged, and anything outright explicit be placed under a read more in addition to tagging. i'm open to crossovers, multiverses, oc interactions and any other character under the sun, really, so never be afraid to approach me (even if you have absolutely no idea who soap is). i do not follow or interact with minors, and this blog is 21+ for my own comfort. i do check every blog that follows me, even if i don't do so immediately; if you're a minor and i notice you following me, i will block you. this blog does not use icons but, feel free to use or not use them as you please !

ACTIVITY. unfortunately, i am busy and work often, and i am at the mercy of my fluctuating energy levels. as such, this blog has low/sporadic activity. sometimes i will be high activity for days or even weeks, and sometimes getting things written here will be very difficult for just as long. all i kindly ask is that you be patient with me when it comes to replies, especially ones that are on the longer side. i will get to them, and will never abandon a thread without notice.

DRAMA, CALLOUTS, ETC. i am not here for drama, so don't involve me in it. i quite literally do not care what personal issues you have with another random tumblr user. i don't want to see it. i don't want anything to do with it. do not come to me with it. i will block you immediately. any problem you have with me can be resolved privately or not at all. i will not ever reblog or engage with callout posts. most times i won't even completely read them, if at all. please do not ever come into my inbox telling me about something or someone you may have seen me interact with, if we are not friends. i will form my own opinions and respond accordingly in private.

MAINS & EXCLUSIVES/AFFILIATES. i am open to mains and exclusives. however, that will require a considerable amount of trust and interaction beforehand, and i reserve the right to break either, should i no longer feel comfortable with it. if we are not comfortable as friends out of character, i will likely not be mains or exclusives with you. currently, my sole affiliate is phasmasum, and my portrayal of soap is tightly bound to theirs of ghost. if you see me referring to ghost in any capacity on this blog, assume it's them unless stated otherwise.

if you've made it this far, i appreciate you greatly for taking the time to read this! my name is lex. i'm 28, and my pronouns are they/them. i am not new to tumblr rp and have been doing so since 2012, but i am new to the cod/mw community so like...don't be a dick maybe. i have only played the modern warfare reboot campaigns, so keep that in mind when interacting ! discord is available to mutuals upon request.

#PINNED POST; LEX ( THEY THEM ) / 28 / DNI