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davinashifts333 · 4 months

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THE SECRET AFFAIR (Jason DiLaurentis x Liar!Reader):

⚫️summary; one year after Alison’s disappearance everything in Rosewood went haywire. Y/n, Aria’s maternal cousin & now 1/5 of the remaining Liars, who had either an equal amount or possibly even more secrets than her childhood friends, had been dating her now presumed dead best friend’s brother. That’s right, since before the summer of Alison’s disappearance Y/n & Jason had secretly been hooking up & began officially dating due to her helping him sober up & help him through his toughest nights that now gloomed over his past. She was his main alibi for the night everything happened with Alison but, obviously couldn’t tell anyone why she was with him. So why now, that they’re finally putting Alison to rest does it all go to shit? Because the whole town believes one of the liars did it.

⚠️warnings; swearing, age gap relationship (Y/n is the same age as the girls but one of the oldest, so 5-6 years younger than Jason), adult themes, murder, gore-ish?, PLL shit dude, it’s crazy, 18+ ONLY!

•

Y/N’s POV (the night of Ali’s disappearance)

I woke up with a blazing headache to my phone ringing a very specific tone that had become all too familiar. Jason. Thunder rolled in as lightning flashed the barn awake. The text from Jason saying to meet him at our spot which was a small bench in the woods behind his house. I head over, carefully leaving the barn door ajar so the girls won’t wake up when I come back but, I notice i’m not the only one who had planned to escape. Ali was gone and so was Spencer. I brushed the thought from my mind as I remember Jason’s text,

‘Garrett and Ian brought over some weed and I have the shakes now, meet up? I’m freaking out. Be safe. xx’

Jason had been trying to get clean, key word, trying. His friend group wasn’t as lenient as I was though, every now and then I had to help clean him up and sleep through the high or drunken daze. He wasn’t the best at being drunk believe it or not, he got drowsier than me after smelling the fumes when filling my car up with gas. Regardless, Jason was there for me when my dad left to hunt down my mom’s murderer. Yeah, Aria is my cousin, our moms are sisters.. Well.. Were.. That was until one night in the winter of 1998. I woke up after hearing glass shatter and walked down stairs, all I remember seeing was a shadow of a tall man standing over my mother’s body. Since then, I’ve lived with my aunt Ella and her family. Jason was our neighbor from down the street and Aria knew Alison, so obviously I knew them too. He always told me that death brought new life and my new life I had to live in honor of my mom. We clicked from then on. Of course being older he always taunted us girls and would do the typical big brother things to Ali. But one night when I was 14, I kissed him. He was shocked at first but then admitted he always liked me best out of Ali’s friends. The only bad thing was, Alison saw us kiss. She held it over my head like a looming sword on the thinnest of threads, threatening to tell her parents that Jason tried to force himself on me. Which obviously was a lie but who would they believe. Little did she know, I had secrets of hers to shoot back with so, we bonded in that way. A battle for dominance as one might call it. But nonetheless we were best friends, and secrets so keep us together.

I walk up to the bench hearing the crunching of leaves coming from the opposite direction, they staggered a bit and I saw Jason stumbling towards me, tripping on a rock and landing right on top of me.

‘Shit, sorry babe. I guess drunk me has two left feet.’ I giggled at his comment as we sat up, backs against the trunk of the tree that stood tall above our bench.

‘Who bought it this time?’ I asked, changing the subject back to the issue at hand. Jason then took position on my lap, my hands running through his hair. He sighed.

‘Ian. As always. But Garrett also brought booze. You know I can’t resist a nice cold beer. Those two idiots are probably still up in my room thinking I passed out somewhere. How was your sleepover?’ I rubbed his temples, knowing he got headaches when he drank.

‘It was okay, had some drinks too, courtesy of your sister. Hanna and Emily knocked out first and well you kno-.’ Suddenly the sound of someone walking by caught our attention. Jason shot up and stumbled a bit before helping me up. I held his waist to help him gain balance and he whispered to me to head back to the barn. That we’d talk the next day. With a swift kiss goodbye we went our separate ways. But, just as I got back to the door of the barn I heard a scream. I quickly made my way inside to see Emily, Hanna and Aria still asleep. Gladly I didn’t get caught by Spencer or Ali. I went back to my place on the large ottoman and curled up, hoping for Jason to have gotten back in one piece. He wasn’t as drunk or high as other times but, he still could continue through the night or worse, be pressured by Ian. God, I hated his “friends”. They only enabled him to fail at sobriety and I knew the truth behind their little club. Ian started it all with Jason when Ian took a photo of the girls and I in Emily’s bedroom. Creep.

An hour or so went by and I couldn’t sleep with all the thoughts running in my mind but, I kept my eyes shut. Spencer had come back but seemed a bit off, her breathing was ragged and stuffy. Like she had been crying or running. I wondered if Ali had gone back home or if she was coming back but, my question was answered when a loud crack of thunder woke us all up. Emily and Hanna huddled together while Aria “woke” me up.

‘Damn Y/n/n. You sure can sleep through anything.’ Spencer joked trying to lighten the mood and we all slightly laughed.

‘Where’s Alison?’ I finally asked and Spencer spoke up.

‘I think I heard a scream.’

That night marked a huge change in our lives and seeing how things were, my Uncle Byron and Aunt Ella decided it would be best to move to Iceland for a while, to get away. But now that we were back, things seemed way different. I hadn’t heard from Jason much after Ali’s disappearance. We kept in tough but after I was forced to move across the world, we decided it was best to be apart. I hoped he stayed sober but, I also knew the loss of his sister was taking a toll on him.

Aria and I had begun to unpack when Mike announced he was hungry. So Aria and I took my car that my mom had when she was my age, to a little dive bar/restaurant near Hollis College to get some burgers. When I waited for our order, Aria snuck off with this really cute guy who was apparently studying to be an English teacher. I let her have some fun while I contemplated texting Jason. Low and behold I folded.

‘Hey, I know it’s been a while since we last spoke but I figured a check in from our old spot in Rosewood could be cool? I just got back today and could sneak away from Aria for a few. If you’re up for it. Hope you’re doing well. xx.’

He read it almost instantly as if he had known I was thinking of texting him.

‘Welcome back to hell. I can meet you there in 10?’ I felt my heart skip a beat at the thought of seeing Jason after a whole year and quickly shot Aria a text letting her know what I was doing. During our time in Iceland I confessed to her about Jason and I secretly dating to which she was impressed but mainly saddened by and even wrote a modern day Romeo and Juliet based off of us. It was sweet, Jason had even liked it when I read it to him on one of our phone calls early on. He also felt proud that I was able to trust someone enough to talk about him with.

I drove the 10 minutes to the last secluded park where we had to start meeting after our bench had been compromised by the investigation and waited. A few minutes went by and I heard a knock on my car window. I shut it off and climbed out. He looked good, way better than he did when I left. Healthier, a bit more put together and like his face was hurting from smiling so much.

‘I don’t remember you being this bubbly. Are you sure you’re Jason DiLaurentis?’ I joked and he pulled me in for a hug. His signature cologne engulfed me in the most comforting way.

‘No more red streaks in your hair, you’ve grown up. You sure you’re Y/N Y/L/N?’ He responded and I playfully punch his arm. We walked over to the picnic table and sat down. We talked for what felt like hours but in reality was about half an hour until Aria texted me saying she had the food and was getting dropped off at home. I responded with an excuse she could give her parents and she said she’d have my back. I came back to the conversation at hand and decided to ask the big question.

‘Sorry about that, Aria was just letting me know she’d cover for me back at home. So, truth. How are you?’ I asked, his eyes saddening a bit knowing what I meant.

‘Well, i’m sober. A whole 9 months now. Still dealing with the whole Ali missing thing and just graduated from College. You?’ I felt his hand playing with my rings on mine and sighed.

‘Well, about to start Junior year of High School, still dealing with the whole Ali missing thing and now very proud of this guy I used to date. He was a bit of a mess when I left our hometown so, you know. Surviving.’ He chuckled nodding as I ended my response.

‘He was very broken up. I mean come on, not being able to see your gorgeous face for that long? It was criminal. Poor guy was torn up enough already. You just added to the mix.’ I took notice of how true his comment was, I had left him in a vulnerable moment.

‘Well, I tried to keep in contact with him but, didn’t know how else to help, I was grieving too. Just grieving in a different way and grieving him as well.’ He lifted my chin to meet my gaze.

‘You don’t have to grieve anymore love. He’s never given up that one day you’d make your way back to him. Believe me. He even thought about how if you didn’t come back soon, he’d have to go to Iceland to find you.’ His hand now cupping my cheek as my eyes glazed over with tears. Alison always did tell me she loved how I helped Jason become more human in her eyes. She had seen a change in him from when we started dating.

‘Well, I thought he would hate me for leaving. I know I had no choice but, I still wished I could’ve been there to help him, like always.’

‘Baby, listen to yourself. You were always there helping me. Even when you had to go. You called every day, texted all day long, checked in when you could. You did your part, it was just time for me to do mine and let you move on. I just hoped that if we really were meant to keep going, you’d eventually come back to me.’ At this point I was fully crying and listening to his grief and love pour out of him.

‘I did hound my Aunt Ella everyday in hopes of us coming back sooner. And look at us now. I don’t want to move on, I want us, I want to grow in life with you Jason. I wanna see you be the person you always dreamt of becoming and to let the past stay in the past, all the mistakes were just bumps in the road. You took control of your life, focused on yourself and I couldn’t be happier for you. You deserved to be free from those assholes you called friends.’ He placed his forehead to mine and pulled me into his lap.

‘Can I kiss you now? I’m dying over here.’ He whispered and I laughed nodding. At that moment, we were in bliss. Not knowing what was yet to come and how insanely twisted our lives would soon become. After our reunion we agreed on meeting up as much as we could and even heading to Philly for date nights. However until I turned 18, we had to stay under the radar for a bit. It was all rose colored glasses until the first text from -A. It was a picture of me in Jason’s lap and a whole album of pictures of us before Ali went missing. Who could’ve possibly gotten these?

•

A/N: HIIII! IM BACK ON MY DELULU SHIT & HAVE FALLEN BACK INTO MY CHILDHOOD COMFORT SHOW PLL. LMK IF I SHOULD MAKE THIS A SERIES OR NOT, ALSO LMK WHAT ELSE YOU’D WANT ME TO WRITE ABOUT! LOVE YOU GUYS & HAPPY 2024!! 🩷🩷🩷

#davinashifts333 #jason dilaurentis #pretty little liars #pll #pll girls #plledit #pll rewatch #pretty little liars x reader #spencer hastings #aria montgomery #emily fields #alison dilaurentis #hanna marin #jason dilaurentis x reader #jason dilaurentis x y/n #pll aesthetic #plldaily #pll cast #pll icons

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mcverse · 11 months

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ꨄ︎ Paring: ATWOW x Human!! Reader

ꨄ︎ Requested: Yes/No

ꨄ︎ Type: Headcanon

ꨄ︎ Warnings: JUST ANGST (jealousy, doubt, mention of death) and spelling errors 🫶

ꨄ︎ Side note: Neteyam, Lo’ak & Ao’nung only bby

please keep in mind that all characters in my stories are always 18+

— NETEYAM

Despite Spider being like another brother to him, there was not a close bond between you and him.

It wasn't entirely his fault because you rarely left devils gate, making it difficult for him to know you well. Your inability to breathe shouldn't be an excuse since Spider can handle it, and it's expected that you can too.

However, he did understand the situation. He recognized that it might be scary for you to be constantly surrounded by things bigger than you, and that it could be overwhelming.

As a response to this understanding, the main group came to an agreement to spend more time at the lab with you. They made efforts to convince you to engage in activities outside, aiming to foster a stronger connection.

Although he couldn't accompany them every time due to his training schedule, whenever he did join them, he displayed an overly cautious attitude similar to his mother's.

He finds it difficult to have meaningful conversations with you, often exchanging only short and curt words. This has made him think that you might not like him, and he may feel the same way.

One day, Spider, Kiri, Lo'ak, Neteyam, and Tuk manage to convince you to leave the lab. It turns out to be an amazing experience for you, far more beautiful than looking through a window.

Your whole personality changes from being closed off to being more open. You start smiling, talking, and showing genuine interest in everything around you, including Neteyam.

Neteyam is surprised and speechless. He thinks your smile is beautiful compared to your usual frown when he's around.

Your smile drew him in, making him wonder how he can spend more time with you so he can see it more. As you chat and ask random questions while walking together, you show an effort to get to know him better.

Since that day, Neteyam makes an effort to join the group more often. He comes up with excuses, like being the oldest and needing to watch over them as his father always advised. Surprisingly, his excuses work every time.

He notices that you're smiling more when he's around, even though it may not be because of him specifically. Nonetheless, seeing you happy brings him a sense of joy.

One night, after a late visit to see you, he lies in bed, trying to sleep. However, thoughts of you keep drifting into his mind. He realizes that he feels genuinely glad to have met you, maybe even too glad. It dawns on him that he has been looking forward to seeing you a lot lately.

At first, he believes it's because he has finally gotten to know you better, considering you like a sister. However, that thought doesn't sit well with him. The realization doesn't help either; if anything, it makes things worse.

He understands his own feelings and how you make him feel. It annoys him that he has only just realized it instead of remaining oblivious.

He has returned to being quiet, lost in his thoughts, and more serious. Consequently, he doesn't visit the lab as frequently anymore. He needed to redirect his focus towards something else, such as training for his future, a future where he wouldn't have you by his side.

Despite the pain of being away from you and the frustration of not being able to express his feelings, he made the difficult decision to distance himself. He believed that a romantic relationship between the two of you wouldn't work out, as it wasn't realistic and couldn't become his reality.

It bothers him when his siblings return and talk about their day, casually mentioning things you did. He despises how his ears instinctively perk up in interest and how your name immediately captures his attention.

He yearns to be a part of those stories, right by your side like his siblings. If he could have that, it would be enough for him. However, he acknowledges that his feelings for you are more than just wishful thinking. He understands that such thoughts are best kept within the realm of his dreams.

He is intelligent and considerate enough to recognize that staying away from you is the best decision for both of you. He can't have you, and you can't have him.

— AO’NUNG

He absolutely despised your presence. In his eyes, you were nothing but a freak of nature. Forget about Kiri and Lo'ak, as you had become the primary target of his attention and annoyance.

Seriously, how messed up were the Sully's in their heads to actually believe it was a brilliant idea to pick you up and bring a demon along? It just didn't make any sense to him, and he couldn't help but question their sanity.

He couldn't bring himself to look at you directly, and whenever you were in his line of sight, his eyes would narrow in disdain. Controlling his words became a futile task, as he couldn't help but let out the most hurtful and insulting remarks, surpassing even those directed at Lo'ak and Kiri

He completely ignores your existence, treating you as if you were insignificant. He constantly makes jokes about how you would be the first to perish in any situation due to your small stature and inability to breathe the same air as him.

About 8 out of 10 times, he took pleasure in making you cry, showing no remorse whatsoever. He considered you to be overly sensitive and weak, seeing your tears as a sign of vulnerability. He believed that if it weren't for the Sully family's presence and support, you would be nothing more than potential prey for a thanator or some other menacing creature.

Eywa forbid something actually happens to you, though. It would earn him no satisfaction if one of the things he teased you about actually came true. In fact, it would break him inside if such a situation unfolded right in front of him.

His perception of you took a drastic turn when, during a group swim in the ocean, you were unexpectedly pulled under by a strong current. In the chaos, your mask cracked, leaving you in a dangerous situation. It was in that intense situation that Ao'nung, who happened to be the closest and fastest swimmer in the group, came to your rescue.

Everyone is panicking, huddled around you as Ao'nung brings you to land. But nobody is more shocked than him. He's at a loss for words, his eyes wide and fixed on you as you struggle to catch your breath, your lips turning blue.

You were on the verge of dying, and then Neteyam stepped in. Without hesitation, he covered both your mouth and nose with his own, giving you the oxygen you desperately needed until a new mask could be provided.

Ao'nung knew that wasn't a kiss. He understood it was a life-saving act. Deep down, he's relieved to see you back to your quirky human self, but he didn't like that situation at all.

Now, he's more conscious of you and your surroundings after that incident. It affected everyone, but he felt it more than others. Additionally, he's keeping an eye on Neteyam and how he interacts with you. Ao'nung is starting to notice the closeness between you two.

Why did he even care?

So what if you didn't enjoy interacting with him as much as you did with Neteyam and Lo'ak, sometimes Rotxo. He understood that it was because he often teased you. And even though you rarely smiled at him unless others were around, he still cherished those rare moments.

But there was one thing that truly bothered him and kept him awake at night: your physical closeness with other males. Every time he saw you with the duo you grew up with, you were excessively touchy and intimate, which didn't sit well with him.

It wasn't fair. The only times he could touch you were when you first arrived and when he saved your life. Other than that, the guys didn't allow it, which really brought him down.

Nevertheless, he continued to tease you. Yet, he made an effort to find moments alone with you. During those times, his teasing wasn't about you being a human/demon in a Na'vi world. It was more about getting you flustered or understanding your relationships with others, without showing any signs of jealousy.

Things didn't go as planned, and his attempt to understand your feelings ended up causing a fight between you both. As a result, you both started keeping your distance from each other. It hurts him because he's not clueless. He knows what this means. He has fallen for a human, out of all the people in the village.

The space between you gives him time to accept the hard truth that he will carry his feelings silently and never act on them. He has to find peace in watching you live a happy life without him by your side because he knows he can't be with you the way he wants. It wrong and impossible. Why did it have to be you?

— LO’AK

He's probably the least angsty out of the three when it comes to you. I mean, it's Lo'ak we're talking about here — how could you be any different from Spider? You practically grew up together, like family, just from different species.

But let me tell you, once puberty hit, things changed. He always thought you were the cutest human he had ever seen, and that's saying something because Spider doesn't even come close. But during puberty, whoa, he thanks Eywa for that blessing.

Whenever he mustered the courage to speak to you, his words stumbled, his voice grew quieter, and maintaining eye contact became a challenge. Spider, Neteyam, Kiri—everyone noticed it, everyone but you.

Was it really a surprise that he ended up developing feelings for you? Not really. You showed him kindness, respect, and genuine interest. You saw him for who he truly was, listened to him, and shared moments that mattered. It was only a matter of time before his heart couldn't help but fall for you.

He's fully aware of the potential drawbacks that could arise if he were to pursue a relationship with you. He understands that the downsides outweigh the benefits, and he doesn't take it lightly. However, deep down, he wishes he could muster up more concern for the potential consequences.

Lo'ak quickly brushed aside the notion that it could never work out between you two because his feelings for you had a strong grip on his judgment. He wanted it to succeed, needing it more than anything else. Rarely had he desired something with such intensity, even though it seemed to be his nature to yearn for things that were out of reach.

He's torn between the desire to express his feelings for you openly, to lay bare his affection and the way you brighten his world in ways he never imagined.

Yet, he refrains from doing so. Fear holds him back, afraid of how you might react. He remains uncertain about your own sentiments towards him, uncertain if you feel anything for him at all.

Instead of expressing his feelings, he remains silently by your side, watching as his emotions intensify and his jealousy towards Spider grows stronger. The thought of you choosing Spider as your companion fills him with mixed emotions. On one hand, it would relieve him from the potential complications and drawbacks of pursuing a relationship with you. On the other hand, it would shatter his heart to witness you with someone else.

However, deep down, he cares immensely. If you were to choose Spider, he would have to conceal the pain that grips his heart each time he sees you together. He would have to find a way to move on, despite his heart belonging solely to you, even if he were to end up with someone else.

Why did he feel like such an outcast? Why couldn't he fit into a neat category that would make it easier for you to love him without hesitation? Why did it matter so much what others thought? Love should be blind to such superficial boundaries, shouldn't it?

The incident when you and Spider were captured by Quaritch and others only reinforced the notion that society held different standards. Only one of you managed to survive, and he couldn't help but wish he had been more courageous in expressing his feelings. He wanted to ignore everyone's expectations, disregarding their opinions—just this once, just for you—so he could hold you in his arms as lovers do, experiencing that cherished connection for the first and possibly last time.

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janners · 1 year

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Light

Sully family x daughter!reader

warnings : death, heavy angst..?, violence (if i miss anything tell me)

word count : 7.9k

a/n : This is my very first story that i’ve ever posted so it may be absolute shit but I hope you guys enjoy it. Please tell me if i’ve made any mistakes. Also there may be some plot holes that I haven’t noticed. If there is just ignore it lol

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Pure blinding light, that’s all you can see. An aching feeling within you surfaces as you slowly realise where you are. With Eywa…

19 years ago

“Y/N” Jake announces, his first born, his first daughter. A joyous day for both him and Neytiri, a gift sought from Eywa. The first light in their life, but what they didn’t know was how fast that light would fade within their lives.

_______________________________________________________________________

You were a bright child, fast learner as well. Being able to catch fish with your bare hands, showing it off to your father with the brightest smile. How that smile could brighten up anyone's day. You were adored by everyone in the clan with how enthusiastic you were and how positive you are in any given situation.

Only four years later came along your younger brother, Neteyam. Any chance that was given, you would hold him and just talk about how much you adore and cherish him. Neytiri being right there to witness these interactions gave her thoughts on how they could ever be deserving of such a blessed child.

As years pass by, Lo’ak and Kiri now being part of the family has Jake and Neytiri busy as ever. Though, where does that leave you? You are being left out, and held with more responsibility than ever before. Being the oldest sully child now became stressful and overwhelming. Once a carefree child, now trapped with responsibilities. Jake had given you the responsibility to watch over your siblings at all times and protect them at all costs. Only being 6 at the time, you didn’t fully understand why.

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Both Jake and Neytiri haven’t been the same parents you knew since the birth of Tuktirey. You don’t blame Tuk in any way with how your parents are now acting. You could only blame them for being hard on you no matter what you do. Throughout the years you had trained hard with no breaks. Becoming one of the most lethal warriors within the clan. Even with your parents knowing that, they still pay no attention to you. Even when you went through with your iknimaya, you didn’t get as much praise compared to when your other siblings had completed theirs. You still had strong bonds with your siblings especially with Lo’ak.

You and Lo’ak were always together, attached to the hip. You being the calm and collected child while Lo’ak was the “devil” child. You guys especially bonded over your difficulties in the family, you being the only one to really understand him. Though being older, you don’t rant to him but instead just listen and comfort him because that’s what a good older sister does.

Present

Jake is discussing plans about the raids now that the sky people have returned. You listen intently knowing that Jake expects the most from you. While listening Lo’ak nudges you with his elbow and whispers “psst y/n” you take a quick glance but focus back on the meeting but again he nudges harder, “sister pssst” you finally look at him “what do you want Lo’ak, father will skin us if he finds that we are not paying attention”

He just stares at you for a second before saying “nothing I just wanted to annoy you” with a smug smile on his face. You just roll your eyes with a faint smile.

“Lo’ak, Y/n, Neteyam, you three will be scouters alright? I better not see you guys on the ground at all, understand?” Jakes states with a stern face. You all nod, knowing if you retaliate it would only start an argument. The three of you are now flying and scouting in the air as the rest of the warriors raid the train. You hear Neteyam shout for Lo’ak which made you snap looking in their direction, just to see Lo’ak descending down towards the train. “I swear to eywa that I will not kill Lo’ak” you mumble under your breath. Spotting an aircraft you fly faster towards Lo’ak and Neteyam hoping to get them back to the sky before their father spots them. “Lo’ak, Neteyam, hurry your skxawng asses back into the air NOW”

Right as you finish speaking you see a missile coming towards you all. You quickly alert them trying to run but as it came closer you pushed them out of the way trying to take most of the impact. You landed harshly on the uneven terrain having multiple gashes litterred all over your body. You couldn’t breathe, you were panicking but not for yourself but for your brothers well beings. You struggled to to stand trying to look to where you pushed them, looking over you see them helping each other up with small scratches on them. Relief washes over you knowing that they are okay.

Jake witnessed all of it and came as quickly as possible but not towards you. He went straight to his sons, thinking you were a tough enough warrior to help yourself up. Jake pulling Lo’ak and Neteyam with him but Lo’ak began to go against trying to reach you. “Sir what about y/n? She is hurt, we can't just leave her!” he yelled in desperation. Jake pulled him back “She will be fine, she will meet us back as at camp”

You watched them leave, your chest aching and wondering why he would just leave you there. You struggled to stand while calling for your Ikran. Your Ikran kxamtxon, assisted you in standing up, you threw yourself on her back now heading back to your “home.” Landing you see your father waiting for you. Still struggling to walk over to him, the first thing you hear is “I told you to keep a close eye on them and what do you do, you let them go down” yelling not even caring whether or not anyone could hear him. “I am sorry sir, it won’t happen again” you reply knowing if you’d get yelled at more if you were to say anything else. “It better not or so help me god, go and get fixed up now and get that crap off your face” you nod reluctantly slowly limping to the healing tent.

Entering the tent Mo’at spots you and ushers you quickly to sit. Silence until Lo’ak comes up to you to apologise. “I’m so sorry y/n, did father yell at you?” he asks quietly, “It is okay Lo’ak and no need to worry whether or not he yelled at me, it’s okay” not wanting to worry your brother any further. Turning to Neteyam asking if he was okay as well, he nodded and said sorry as well. You reassure them that it is okay once more. Your relationship with Neteyam isn’t as close compared to Lo’aks but Neteyam always comes to you when he is having a difficult time with father.

Mo’at finishes patching you up telling you to be more careful next time. Now walking away to your family tent, you see your mother waiting for you as well. Neytiri isn’t as harsh compared to Jake but it still breaks your heart knowing that your once loving mother doesn’t acknowledge you as much. Jake and Neytiri come to an agreement that you are to stay in the tent for a week as punishment.

_______________________________________________________________________

Staying in the tent all day was dreadful and boring. Sudden sounds were made outside of the tent, seeing your family in rough states and shaken up. You had wondered what had happened while they were all out. Immediately, you walked towards Tuk seeing as she is the most shaken up from whatever happened out there. “Oh tuktuk are okay?? What happened?” Tuk instead cries in your arms and you look toward Kiri, Lo’ak, and Neteyam to see if any of them would tell you what had happened.

While all of you were outside the tent, Kiri had explained to you about the events. Hearing your parents argue made you even more concerned. All of you had listened in and heard them mention leaving. Those words made you all freeze. Leave? Leave your home? The clan? Thoughts swirling in your head, the forest being the only place you knew. You couldn’t fathom the idea of leaving.

Later that night after everything had been told to us, you couldn’t sleep. Your whole life spent in the forest now just gone within seconds. Having to start a whole new life when your life now isn’t good. The aching feeling in your chest rises, thoughts of having to leave everything behind. Eventually you fall asleep with worried thoughts.

Witnessing your father get cut on the chest from Tarsem, it is now official. Flying away you look back knowing you won’t get the chance to see it again. Flying for it seemed like forever, we reached the reefs. Hearing the alarms blown from the clan, you all landed. Surrounded by the curious eyes of the Metkayina people, tsuraks flying above you. Jake and Neytiri doing the I see you gesture towards two people, that you were guessing was the Tsahik and Oloeyktan. You glance over to your siblings, seeing Lo’ak spot a girl you smirk and give him a knowing look. He rolled his eyes and went back to looking at the girl.

You had spaced out the rest of the interaction between your parents and the leaders of the clan. That is until the Tsahik grabbed Kiri and Lo’ak and yelled demon blood. Those words alone made you want to hiss at her but held back knowing how your parents and everyone else would react. Now being allowed to stay here, we were to be teached by their children, Ao’nung and Tsireya. Tsireya led us to our Mauri and let us settle in, Jake pulled you aside for a private conversation. Far away enough from the family he started talking “y/n I expect you to keep an eye on your siblings, and for you to be on your best behaviour. I can’t have you messing things up. If you get into any trouble while we are here I will personally deal with you. Got it?” Looking up at him slowly you nod “Yes sir, I promise nothing will happen” with that you walk back to mauri. While walking back, you still wonder why your parents had started acting like this. Everyone else gets treated better than you. You can’t but feel envy for you siblings as they get more recognition from your parents. Even Lo’ak, you feel horrible feeling envious towards him, he gets more attention than you and he does a lot of dumb stuff.

You push those thoughts away thinking that you shouldn't be having thoughts like that, but can’t help it.

_______________________________________________________________________

Jumping in the water with your brothers, you look around you looking at all the sea life around you. For once in your life, you feel at peace especially with your thoughts. You swam away from the group exploring the area yourself like Kiri. Eventually you came for air and looked around seeing your brothers above water as well.

You all come together, Ao’nung calling for ilus. While Tsireya took Lo’ak and tuk, Ao’nung had you and Neteyam. Neteyam had gone first, not doing horrible his first try but still got flung off. Looking over to Lo’ak, you see him get flung off as well and you laugh as Lo’ak resurfaces. Now it was your turn, Ao’nung was a rude little shit but a helpful teacher. It felt odd being taught by someone younger than you. Adjusting your stance, you take off at a slow pace, listening to what Ao’nung had said. You did well for your first try by not falling off, and that made you extremely proud of yourself.

Next was breathing, and that had gone by quickly especially with teasing Lo’ak about Tsireya getting his heart rate up. You were now just sitting beside Kiri in the water looking out into the distance just thinking. Thinking about how this is the most freedom you’ve gotten since you were a child.

Flashback

Drawing your arrow back, arms aching, back and core feeling strained. You shoot and miss the target again. “How many times do I have to tell you, arms higher and straighter back. You won’t hit anything if you keep this up” Jake had you practising for hours “but dad my body is hurting, I don’t think I can do anymore” you had started crying with the amount of pain you were in. Instead of your father telling you to stop and continue tomorrow, he yelled at you “Do you want to become a warrior or not, enough with the crying there is no reason to cry. Do it again, we aren’t stopping until you hit the target properly” With that, you continued crying quietly but proceeded to keep shooting arrows but eventually you hit one.

You looked up to your father hoping to see a proud face but instead you saw nothing but a stone cold face telling you to keep going. At that point you collapse from being overworked. Next thing you know, you wake up in the healing tent with no one else here.

Flashback end

You sigh with a shaky breath not wanting to cry. Back to peaceful silence you were suddenly interrupted by Ao’nung and his gang. Things led to another. Ao’nung called Kiri a freak and you stepped in, “Do not call me sister a freak, I advise you leave us alone” Ao’nung looked at you giving you a smirk “Who are you to speak outcast, you’re just a loser in your own family” he laughed while you were close to punching him in the face. Lo’ak stepped in on time and then Neteyam came as well.

Lo’ak punches Ao’nung in the face and a while fight breaks out, Neteyam steps in too leaving you no choice to join as well. Being stronger than the rest, you took on most of them making sure Lo’ak and Neteyam aren’t harmed too much. The rest of them had started to gang up on you and purely just you. They kept pushing your brothers away so that they could beat you up.

It had gotten to the point where you were struggling to even throw a single punch at any of them. Eventually Jake and Tonowari came and broke up the fight. You were being dragged away, Jake having a strong grip on your arm making sure that there were bruises that were going to form. “Are you out of your mind y/n? What did I tell you NOT to do huh?”

You were at your snapping point

“What did you want me to do!” finally talking back.

“My sister and brothers were in trouble and as their older sister I went and protected them. YOU told me to protect them with my life and now I am being yelled at for something that isn’t my fault?” you felt your chest aching again, tears flooding your eyes.

“All my life I have done nothing but protect them and watch over them, but what about me HUH WHO IS PROTECTING ME, WHO IS LOOKING OVER ME” tears now freely flowing down your face.

Jake was shocked to say the least but instead of trying to comfort you or try to talk it out with you, he just yelled again.

“GET OUT, I do not want to see your face right now”

Neytiri had walked into the middle of the argument, just standing there shocked. When Jake had yelled for you to get out, you looked at your mom to see if she would say anything. Nothing came out, you couldn’t believe what you were witnessing and stormed out of the mauri.

You call for your Ikran, wanting to fly far away from your parents for the night. You spot a small island, you land and just lay down on the sand looking up at the sky. You break out crying again. Sobbing uncontrollably, and yelling and screaming, throwing sand. You were so frustrated that you couldn't help but cry.

Lo’ak was there to witness it all and his heart hurt for you. All his life you protected him and not once did he really notice how you felt. He felt like the worst brother in the world knowing that this is how you felt. He stormed into the Mauri ready to yell at his dad and mom

“Sir what i’m about to say i will not apologise for. My sister has done everything for me, she took care of me, protected me, comforted me. All you do for her in return is neglect and yell at her and for what?” he starts to choke up, tears slowly forming.

“Everything she has done was for us and not ONCE have you given her a break. She protected us from getting hurt today and during the raids. She got hurt the most and yet you care so little for her. I know for a fact that you guys loved her at one point because she talked so highly about you guys and apologising for your actions when we have our talks”

Jake and Neytiri just stare at Lo’ak trying to form sentences but nothing comes out. Lo’ak scoffs in disbelief

“If you open your eyes for once in your life, maybe you can be proud of her for once instead of disappointed. At this point I can’t even tell if you guys love her anymore and that is what disappoints me the most. The least you guys could do is let her talk and not yell at her for once”

Lo’ak was now crying because all he wants is you to be happy. He has admired you ever since he was young and seeing you finally reach your snapping point broke him. Walking out of the Mauri, he sees Kiri, Neteyam, and Tuk all with tears in their eyes after hearing everything. They all collectively decided to find you now worrying where you ran off to.

Now almost eclipse, your siblings could not find you anywhere. They were extremely worried, worried that you may have gotten hurt more or lost. With Jake and Neytiri, they now worry too. With everything that had happened, they looked at each other now knowing what they had done wrong. Guilt is what they felt, most of their lives they had thought of you as a burden after having Tuk. They never knew why it felt that way, maybe it was from the stress of having 5 kids. Though that isn’t an excuse for their behaviour and they know it.

They had not realised that what once was the light of their lives was now fading. Faded to the point where they might resent them forever. This thought had broken them, wanting to repair the damage that they had and become a happy family again.

_______________________________________________________________________

Lo’ak decided to fly out and see if you were any small islands while the rest continue to search around Awa’atlu. After a couple minutes, he sees a small figure and a dark blue Ikran on an island. He quickly descends towards you.

“Y/N!”

You raise your head to see where the sound had come from. You see Lo’ak running towards you, now jumping in your arms.

“Lo’ak what are you doing here” your voice hoarse from all the crying and screaming.

“You had me worried sick when I couldn’t find you. I heard everything that happened”

You pull Lo’ak away from your embrace.

“Lo’ak you should head back, da- Jake and Neytiri are probably looking for you”

He froze, hearing you call their parents by their names like they were strangers. Never in his life would he hear you say their names. It is like you now separated yourself from the family. How that made him even more upset towards his parents.

“No, I am staying here with you because I am your brother and I worry for you. It is my turn to sit and listen while you talk about your problems”

You huffed knowing that Lo’ak wouldn’t go, but you appreciate him for that. You both sat down properly, you looked out to the sea while Lo’ak is still looking at you waiting for you to talk.

“Before any of you were born, Jake and Neytiri were always smiling and happy with me. We played, talked, and loved each other… They had told me that I was the light in their dark times. Told me how I somehow lifted up the mood anywhere I went and that made them so proud of me.”

Tears are now forming again but you held back not wanting to cry in front of your brother. Not wanting to look vulnerable. Lo’ak continues to listen, surprised how happy their parents used to be with you.

“Neteyam was born, nothing much changed apart from their attention being more on him now that he was the first born son. Everything was still normal, everyone was still happy. Once the rest of you were born, everything suddenly changed. I wasn’t a priority anymore to them. I was just a burden who happened to be related to them. Once I started training, never did I have one break. They worked me to the bone till I was exhausted and at some point I just collapsed.”

Both of you were now crying. Lo’ak had felt so much guilt not knowing this was happening, how cruel their parents were. Never in his life did he want to witness you cry because in his eyes you were always so strong even after being yelled at for his and Neteyams mistakes.

“These days it is like I am now the darkness that fills the room when I am near them. The light does not exist to them anymore, not in their eyes. I am just another being they have to keep alive. I have even thought about just running away but that never happened because I had you guys by my side. Without you guys, I don’t know what I might’ve done”

You took a long pause. Lo’ak took this as his turn to speak. You worried about what he may say.

“All my life I thought that I was a disappointment in mom and dads eyes… Now hearing how you feel and knowing how they felt about you makes me so angry how I didn’t realise you were feeling this way. I always thought you never took things to heart because they loved you and were just worried. I admired the fact that you were always so calm when it came to being yelled at by dad. I admired how strong of a warrior you became. I admired that you understood how upset I was after my arguments with dad. I am so sorry that I never realised you were hurting this bad”

Lo’ak now sobbing, you pulled him into a hug and he hugged you back tightly. Slowly stroking his head, you guys had stayed in that position for a good while before pulling away.

“Lo’ak, never ever be sorry for something you can’t see. It was my burden to deal with. I am the older sister, it was my responsibility. Protecting all of you is something I will always do without hesitation whether or not it gets me killed.” You now sat in silence looking out to the horizon. Turning to Lo’ak you speak again.

“It is best you head off before you start to worry everyone else”

“I am not leaving you here alone”

“Lo’ak, head back, I will be okay. Make sure to tell the rest of them that I am fine but I just need some time to myself for a little bit okay?”

Lo’ak nods, not wanting to leave but decides that it’s best to not worry his other siblings more than they already are. With that you watch Lo’ak fly away while you stay seated on the sand. Once his figure disappears you lay back down and think back on the days you were happy and free. Slowly drifting into sleep, thinking if you’d ever be that happy again.

_____________________________________________________________________

Waking up, you groan while stretching. Eyes puffy from the other day and mouth dry in need for some water. You prepare kxamtxon to head back “home” that was the one thing you were dreading. You were nervous especially after snapping at Jake the other day. You continue flying for a couple more minutes, mentally preparing yourself for the worst. You reach shore, you pat Kxamtxon off and head towards your family's Mauri. You start picking at your skin on your fingers, a habit you developed at a young age when you were nervous.

You slowly enter hoping that it would just be your siblings present in the Mauri. Once in you only see Neytiri. She was waiting for you to return so that she could have a chance to speak with you after yesterday's events. “y/n…” She sits up quickly walking towards you with worried eyes. You wondered why she was acting like this, but in a way it felt comforting. But still being upset from the other day you brushed those feelings off.

“I have been so worried, where did you go? Why didn’t you come back with Lo’ak?”

She tried grabbing your shoulders as a sign that she cared but you brushed her off. Seeing that you didn’t want her touching you she backed off though feeling a little hurt.

“I just needed time to myself. You didn’t have to worry, this is the first time i’ve seen you this worried in a while” You chuckled dryly.

That response broke Neytiri even more knowing that yesterday may have ruined her relationship with you forever. Looking back on the days you were younger, you were so happy. Looking at you now, you look as if she had abandoned you.

“If that is everything, I will be heading back out. I do not know if I will be back tonight but I will be here tomorrow.” With that you left the Mauri leaving Neytiri alone with her thoughts.

You went to go seek for your siblings but only finding Neteyam, Kiri, and Tuk. You greet them with a small smile while they all come running to you, pulling you into a big hug. You had asked them how they were doing and apologised for worrying them. They didn’t care and kept hugging you for a little while more.

“Where is Lo’ak? I thought he would be with you guys.”

“He went to apologise to Ao’nung for punching him the face” Neteyam chuckled

Although odd my Lo’ak would have to apologise for that, you laughed it off as well. Enjoying the day hanging out with your siblings and even Tsireya. Tsireya tried to naturally add Lo’ak in your conversations and that made you smile knowing Lo’ak had someone that could take care of him in the future. While you carry on with your conversation you start to worry a bit due to Lo’ak taking so long for one apology.

All of a sudden you hear abrupt laughter from behind you. You see Ao’nung and his ugly gang laughing at something while they were talking amongst themselves. One thing you noticed is that your brother is not anywhere near them. You stood up quick striding towards Ao’nung.

“Ao’nung where is my brother?”

He looks a bit scared for a second before giving you a smug smile.

“Oh, him? We just took him out hunting but he wanted to stay out a bit longer… alone”

His so called friends behind him started to snicker. That makes you even more concerned and angry. So you grab him by the ear and repeated again with a much more menacing tone.

“Where. Is. My. Brother.”

Now scared, Ao’nung told you quickly not wanting to get hit by you again. Him saying that they left him alone past the reef had you sprinting to where the ilu were. As you reach near the Ilu, you hear the blows go off. You ditch your idea and head right towards where the alarms were coming from. Heart racing not knowing whether your brother was hurt or even if it was your brother.

Finally reaching your destination, you see Lo’ak. You sprint to him, engulfing him in the biggest hug ever. You pull apart checking to see if he had any injuries on him, nothing but small scratches. You finally let a breath of relief come out of you knowing he wasn’t hurt or dead. Just behind him you see Jake, you’ve been avoiding him at all costs but now you see him once again. Ready for more scolding of where you were.

Instead he brings both of you into an embrace, tight as if he was scared you’d disappear. Your heart swells a bit but again you pushed those feelings aside, still not being able to forgive for what he has done. Breaking the hug Lo’ak spot Ao’nung and ready to lunge at him before you stop him. Tonowari apologises and makes his son kneel to apologise as well. Your brother suddenly takes the blame and you look at him with concern in your eyes.

Walking away you catch up to Lo’ak and hooked arms together while you pat his head for comfort. Seeing Ao’nung pop up beside you guys, you were ready to talk to him but Lo’ak stopped you saying it was okay. You just gave Ao’nung a death stare knowing if he did something again he would be dead to you.

______________________________________________________________________

Everyone had now gone to sleep, you went to take a late night fly with your Ikran. You had named her kxamtxon since she looked like the midnight sky. Dark blue with lighter blue signatures accompanied with white. Gliding in the sky you felt at peace once more knowing there would be nothing bothering you at this moment. That was until Jake was flying towards you.

He signalled you to land on the small island you were heading towards. As much as you didn’t want to speak to him you nod at him. Both landing, you had sat on the sand and pat next to you. He sat down and began to speak.

“You know when you were younger, you had always mentioned that you would get an Ikran that looked like the night sky. Especially with how much you loved stargazing.”

You look at him wondering why he would bring that up now. Curious, you continue letting him talk.

“You were always such a bright kid, everyone loved you, I loved you, your mother loved you. We still do… I’m sorry we haven’t been showing it you these past years, I've kept making excuses saying I was busy with your younger siblings. What a lame dad I've become huh. Having you snap at me gave me a reality check and seeing you so upset and crying made me regret so much.”

You see him choking up, you had tears in your eyes too because you’ve longed for your father to talk to you like this. Being vulnerable to each other, sharing each other's feelings, that’s all you wanted. Seeing him like this felt like your dad was back, the dad you had when you were a baby. You begun to speak up in a wobbly voice.

“You hurt me so much you started being harsh on me and ignoring me. You have been such a terrible father to me, even to your own sons. I need to realise that everything you do affects us all. You need to stop yelling at Lo’ak all he wants is your attention, for you to SEE him. Instead you’ve been so focused with this war that you’ve forgotten how to understand how we feel. The last time I've heard you say that you see me was when I was only an infant.”

Taking in all this and processing it had Jake in shambles. Not once did he realise how much of a shit father he has been to his own children, especially to you, his light. He knows he can’t blame the war or the sky people because he was the root of the problem since the beginning. He wants to embrace you and say he is sorry over and over again but even he knows that he can’t repair the damage he’s caused.

“I want to forgive you I really do, but with everything you’ve done to me… I don’t think it will be easy for me to trust you again. I am sorry.”

“No, don't be sorry, it’s all my fault and I know that now. I will work hard to earn your trust back even if it takes months or even years. I want to be your dad again.”

He grabs your hand giving it a small squeeze and you squeeze back to give a small reassurance that you’re okay with that. Sitting in silence gazing at the stars, you feel like a child again. Being able to lay down beside your dad pointing out your favourite stars, your heart finally settles to calming beats. This is what you longed for and you finally got it after years.

Heading back together you had a content smile on your face. Returning you see Neytiri waiting once again with worried eyes. You walk towards her with arms open and you finally embrace into a warm hug. She was shocked but hugged you back immediately seeing her daughter is finally back. Going into the Mauri, finally able to sleep peacefully without having to worry about anything. What you didn’t know was the events that were going to happen in the future.

_______________________________________________________________________

Waking up it was loud with na’vi jumping in the water with excitement. You came out and saw Tsireya running towards you guys stating that the Tulkun had returned. Turning towards the ocean, a beautiful scene of tulkun jumping and na’vi going towards them with joy. You all join them witnessing everyone finding their sisters and brothers. Rotxo introduced his brother to you, Kiri, and Tuk and rode on his fin, gliding through the water. Neteyam and Ao’nung chasing each other on their Ilu. Tsireya talking about Lo’ak to her sister. Everything was perfect.

Jake and Neytiri had put more effort into talking to you and laughing like old times. Neytiri even gave you new jewellery, with beautiful shells and beads mixed together. Again everything was perfect. Perfect until we saw Ronals sister's floating along with her calf. Everyone with looks of despair now enraged. Yelling and shouting from the clan ready to fight the sky people for what they had done. Jake yelling to not attack, but to tell the tulkun to go somewhere far away. Showing that if they are hit with the tracker they are marked for dead. Hearing that you turn to Lo’ak, watching him run to get an Ilu to warn payakan. You ran after him along with the rest of the kids.

Jumping in the water getting an Ilu chasing after Lo’ak, your heart now racing once again. Reaching payakan, he was in fact marked for death.

“Shit” you mumbled under your breath

All of you are struggling to pull the tracker off as the ship gets closer and closer towards you all. With a final tug it came loose, you took it in your hands and told everyone to go while you led them away from them.

Skypeople now chasing all of us under the water. Your heart is now beating at an extreme pace. Worried that your siblings could get hurt. From a distance you see Tsireya, Tuk, and Lo’ak being scooped up in a net from an avatar and their Ikran. Then Kiri was grabbed by another Ikran. You yelled trying to get to them as fast as you could but you were too late as they were now on the boat. You turned trying to find your father to tell him that they had been captured.

Now in a situation where your brother and sisters were stuck in a hostile position. You and Neteyam were waiting on the sidelines to see if we could anything to help but instead seeing your father move forward. At that moment you knew he was sacrificing himself and you couldn't do anything. Thinking that you’ve failed as both a daughter and sister, a sudden burst through the water showed payakan landing on the boat.

Everyone charging forwards ready to fight for their lives. You and Neteyam went forward to the ship to help your siblings. Payakan gets rid of most of the people on board, you and Neteyam jumped up. You surprise your siblings, cutting their restraints, giving each of them a hug. You hurry them off, telling them to get to safety. Then Lo’ak suddenly stops.

“We need to get spider!”

You had almost forgotten about him. Though deep in your gut you had a bad feeling. You knew something was going to go wrong but Lo’ak kept insisting. Finally agreeing, the three of you snuck on trying to find Spider. Once you spot him, you all jump down to kill off the surrounding men.

“Hurry let’s go”

You said desperation, the feeling in your stomach still not fading. Quickly trying to find the way out, you were now being shot at. All ducking for cover, you grab the gun that Lo’ak had grabbed.

“Lo’ak, Spider, be ready to run first and jump into the water on my signal okay?”

They nod. You gave them the signal, they started running as you begun to shoot at the soldiers. Seeing they made it safely, it was now Neteyams' turn then you. You gave him the signal thinking it was safe. You glance over seeing the gun being pointed at him. It was like everything was in slow motion. You dropped your gun running towards Neteyam and finally jumping in front of him.

You felt something odd hit your chest. You both land in the water, swimming up to the surface you see that Neteyam was alright cheering with Spider and Lo’ak. Then it struck you, you were struggling to stay on the surface and feeling the searing pain coming from your chest.

“N-Neteyam L-Lo’ak”

They both snapped their heads toward you, seeing you struggle they had swam over to quickly. Both in shock calling for their Ilu.

“No no y/n, stay awake okay? You’re going to be okay. NETEYAM help me put her on the Ilu!”

Grabbing you they lift you on the Ilu, now riding quickly towards their parents keeping pressure on your gushing wound. Lo’ak crying, trying not to believe that this was happening right now. Neteyam heavily focused on trying to keep the blood inside with tears running down the sides of his face. Finally reaching their parents, they carefully try to get you on top of the rock.

“Careful hold her head”

Jake couldn’t believe what he was witnessing with his own eyes. His sons carrying their daughter, covered in her blood. Neytiri now flying down with her Ikran, could not believe what she was witnessing either.

“NO Y/N, no my precious daughter”

They had just gotten her back but now she was fading again, Their light was now fading again. Their light was now fading again after being relit. Struggling to breathe you get some words out

“Dad take care of everyone, promise me”

Now wheezing to breathe. Jake grabs your hands and rests his other hand on your cheeks.

“No no you gotta stay awake babygirl, we still have so many nights to go stargazing together an-and we’re gonna go hunting together okay? Sounds good right?”

Jake now struggling to get words out as his first born daughter now struggles to breath.

“No dad, promise me you’ll take care of everyone, don’t blame anyone or yourself okay? P-promise me that.”

“I promise I swear, and i'll take care of you to okay?”

“I want to go home da-”

The light in your eyes had faded. Silence now fills your ears, finally peace overcomes your body as it stills in Jakes arms.

“Y/n? Y/N? NO oh great mother no please PLEASE”

Neytiri continues yelling and praying to bring you back. Lo’ak crying hysterically seeing his sister fade in his dads arms. Neteyam goes numb looking at the scene unfolding before him. Tsireya massages your legs to get circulation going, praying that you were just unconscious. The light in their lives is now gone forever.

Jake turns to see that his daughters are now also missing. Asking Lo’ak where they are, saying they are still on the ship near the moonpools. Lo’ak wanted to help but was told to stay put with his sister. Neteyam and Tsireya caressing your now cold body. Neteyam now sobs knowing that his older sister is now gone forever. The sister he was able to confined to when he was overwhelmed with the pressure of being the next oloeyktan. He sister who would take the blame for both his and Loaks mistakes. The sister that could make him smile in any given situation. His light… gone.

_______________________________________________________________________

Pure blinding light, that’s all you can see. An aching feeling within you surfaces as you slowly realise where you are. With Eywa, the mother of pandora. You realised that you were dead. Adjusting to the light, you were in the forest. Specifically inside your old home. You walk around, grazing your fingers over the objects you used to have when you were younger. Now walking outside, you head towards the top of the tree. You walk towards a certain spot where you would stargaze. Laying down, you close your eyes and let go.

_______________________________________________________________________

Quaritch now having Tuk and Kiri, he had mentioned that Jake didn’t want to lose another daughter. Both Kiri and Tuk stared blankly at him, knowing the only daughter left was you.

As fights went down, Neytiri and Jake both ran off of adrenaline and rage. Killing off all the soldiers. Finally reaching their daughter Tuk but Kiri in the hand of quaritch with a knife to her throat.

The ship slowly sinking, Neytiri and Tuk trapped, Jake slowly drowning. Jake's last thought before going unconscious was how much he had let you down. Blaming himself for the little time he gave himself to make amends with you. Thoughts now disappeared as he resurfaced with Lo’ak beside him.

Everyone is now making it out together, hugging each other, crying together. They went back to the rock to retrieve your body. Tuk and Kiri now seeing your still body, they cried their hearts out. Tuk holding onto your arm and Kiri holding your head in her lap.

The funeral was now happening. They gently placed your body into the large leaf, slowly going out towards the anemone, the light. Carefully removing you from the floating leaf, they slowly ascend down into the water. Gently placing you in the bed of anemone, slowly watching as you sink the light consuming your body. Energy now returned to Eywa.

On land, Ao’nung, Tsireya, Rotxo, all silently mourning as they saw you as an older sister as well. You helping Tsireya with small chores and gossiping about different things especially Lo’ak. Teasing Ao’nung like a younger brother when he does something embarrassing. Helping Rotxo with his grandma and lending tips into becoming a better warrior. They too lost a little bit of light that day.

The family is now approaching the spirit tree. They all attach their queues to be able to see you. First Lo’ak, he saw the memory of you comforting him after having a tough day with their father. She was able to cheer him up with simple words. He saw how they now playfully fought each other. How he missed hearing your joyous laughs and your comforting words.

Neteyam saw the memory of them when they were much younger. He was struggling to shoot a bow properly. Frustrated that he couldn’t get it right, you came over and helped him. No harsh words being said, just smooth guidance which put him at ease. Seeing how patient you were with him and how kind your words were, he really saw how much light you really emitted.

Tuk had the memory of them flying on her Ikran. One of her favourite memories of them together. You had taken Tuk on a joyride with your Ikran. Tuk screams with excitement and you laugh with her. Flying in circles and doing quick loops. That day was amazing for Tuk. It was such a freeing feeling.

Kiri, the memory that came to mind was having a quiet talk about how she feels her, how she feel eywa. You were the only one she could talk to because she knew you would not judge her. She talked about how she felt her breath and how she courses throughout the plants. You listened in amazement, seeing how close of a connection she had for Eywa. Kiri saw how you didn’t judge her once at all and just watched you watch her in amazement.

Neytiri had the memory of when you were merely a baby. The first sight of the light of her life. She remembers how you held her finger, how you giggled at the smallest things she did. Your constant smile was the light keeping the darkness away from her. Looking at the memory, she had a soft smile on her face.

Jake, he had spotted you in your spot. He saw you laying there, eyes closed. He slowly walks towards the spot. You hear noise, and open your eyes just to see your dad sitting down beside you. You saw tears forming in his eyes and gently grabbed his hand.

“Do you remember when I was younger, we would always come up here to stargaze?”

He turns toward the sky, his hand still in yours.

“Of course, you would always drag me because I was walking to slow”

Laughing at his answer because he was right. You would have to pull him by his arm to hurry up not wanting to miss a single star going away even though they wouldn’t disappear.

“I really missed moments like this… being able to hangout with my dad in peace”

“I missed these moments too, much more than I realised”

You watch as his tears fall down his cheeks. Seeing this made you start tearing up as well. You pull him into a hug knowing he won’t have this anymore in real life. You whisper quietly while your head is tucked in his chest.

“I forgive you”

Jake's eyes went wide, wondering why you had forgiven him when he didn’t deserve it.

“I don’t want you to blame yourself dad, I know we never had the closest relationship but I want everyone to be happy even if I’m not there.”

He hugs you tighter not wanting to let go. Sobbing and wondering how he ever deserved you ever.

“Nga yawne lu oer, Oel Ngati Kameie”

“Oel Ngati kameie, Nga Yawne lu oer sempu”

With that he opens his eyes, looking at the rest of his family with smiles on their faces looking at their memories with you in them. Now knowing that the light will always be lit because it you will always be present in their hearts.

#jake sully x daughter #neytiri x reader #neteyam #loak #kiri avatar #tuktirey #avatar the way of water #avatar fanfiction #avatar 2 #angst #jake sully x reader

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danvy121994 · 8 months

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Promised pt 1

Author note: this is part 1 of my first every fanfic! I hope you like it and sorry if there’s any errors English is not my first language <3

Anthony Bridgerton x reader

Synopsis: yn is stuck in a marriage with a man she knows nothing about, apart from the fact that he’s a rake and that his only concerns are his work and he’s family, but who knows what the future might hold for her…

Since the age of fourteen , YN was aware that she would have to marry out of love.

After Edmund Bridgerton died, the oldest son took the title, and with that came many responsibilities; the year after her husband's death Violet hopend up with one of her closest friends about her concerns, Anthony was a young man, whit too much responsibilities for his age, and because of that he wasn’t looking towards a marriage, instead he was going after women of easy virtue and solemnly concentrating on his work as a Viscount. Her friend hearing those words thought of an idea, to promise her daughter to the Viscount and make them marry once she was eighteen, so that he could live his life and learn to be a Viscount in the meantime. She agreed, and that is where our story started…

On the day of her eighteen birthday YN wasn’t happy as she should have been, eighteen for most women is the age when they become a woman, for her eighteen meant the start of her imprisonment.

She always dreamed of meeting the Perfect Man, during a perfect evening and falling in love and with only one glance knowing that they were made for one another. That would never happen.

This is what she thought of as she was getting ready to meet for the first time, and also marry, her future husband. Obviously she as read many thighs about him, from the most famous writer among the ton , lady whistledown, and the more she read the more she was scared of finally meeting him, a dark and handsome man, or at least that’s what they say; he was a rake, he had been with so many women that the author of the newspaper lost the count, and he was very secretive about his life, never engaging in conversations for longer that it needed and often bluntly telling people if he didn’t like them, as much as he could of course since he was a Viscount and needed to keep the family honor ; If there was one thing that she liked about Anthony Bridgerton was his love towards his family, it was something that they shared, if it wasn’t for the love towards her parent yn would have already tried to escape from this union, she knew how much it meant for her mother, so she sat in her chair, quietly as the maids were helping her get ready. As she was so lost in her trail of thoughts she didn’t hear the door opening, a girl appeared from the door,

She had a baby in her arms and as she was walking towards her she spoke “ you must be lady Y/S/N? I am daphne, Anthony’s sister, and you look even more pretty that I imagined” she’s nice, yn thought, “ it’s a pleasure to meet you lady Hastings” she has read of her on lady wistledown, oh how she wishes that she would get a love story like hers. They weren’t able to talk much further because a maid came in the room announcing the start of the ceremony, and in that moment yn was certain that from that moment on, her life would never be the same, in fact she was certain that from that moment on, her life would get even worst once tied to the one of the viscount.

#anthony bridgerton #bridgerton #reader insert #x reader #daphne bridgerton #benedict bridgerton #eloise bridgerton #colin bridgerton #fanfiction #anthony bridgerton x reader #anthony bridgerton x female reader #anthony bridgerton x you #netflix #netflix series #bridgerton netflix #forced marriage #grumpy x grumpy

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themissinghand · 1 year

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Genshin Impact: The Overworked God [1]

Part 2

Summary: In which one of the lore writers who help write the world of Genshin Impact was suddenly thrusted in the very world they created. He doesn't know how this happened and the way home seemed like a pipe dream.

Well, testing characters is one thing, but playing God?

Oh boy.

Note: SAGAU if you squint but not really. Mainly fluff and healing mainly between a tired worker and the oldest Archon.

Male OC!

Warning: Genshin themes with mentions of war, and death. And OC needs some rest.

"Good morning, your Grace."

"5 more minutes..?"

"You are the Creator."

It took approximately one hard pinch to the elbow and 55 seconds later that Kai decided (albeit begrudgingly) that this was his reality.

Always negotiate the terms and pay for any job.

Payment is obviously going back home, but also monetary compensation, enough to retire early as a billionaire. And maybe a nice villa. Or bed.

Until Kai goes home, he might as well get an easier life here.

Which clearly did not go as intended.

"I will not be the babysitter for any Archon." Kai already has countries to run, royal families to manage, and human relationships are ever so complicated. He doesn't have the time nor desire to babysit gods for goodness sake.

And besides, the 7 Archons comes so much later in time!

He's a game writer, not a politician or babysitter! It's only because he played kingdom simulation games before and read too many fictional works that he could figure things out.

Celestia is supposed to be his assistant since he's the Creator, but isn't he working too hard!? At this point, he's gonna retire early!

"But your Grace, you cannot manage the world yourself. Archons can help manage them for you!"

Yes, Celestia gave up in speaking in elegant and ambiguous ways after their first negotiation session.

Kai thought about it for a bit before agreeing, anything that spelled less work for him, he'll take it!

"But, I'm not going to be a babysitter!"

Archon war?

Stop making me do more work!

What happened? It was peaceful for such a long time!

Was it because there were too many gods or powerful creatures? Damn Celestia, you're supposed to keep it under control!

Kai has a migraine everyday, so this wasn't surprising, but did the gods have to fight each other, just so only 7 left?!

Celestia!

"It must be done your Grace! Isn't this what you and your team wrote?"

"Well I changed my mind."

"Your Grace! If you go out there now, they will use you and your powers!"

"But I can't watch people die just because some stupid god or creature that wants power!"

Celestia remained silent at his outburst.

"Tempus. It's too late, it had already begun."

"Celestia!"

"Everything is your will after all. You wrote the story, didn't you?"

It was then did Kai realize that Celestia didn't follow him, but rather the words and designs set by his team in the real world.

Celestia is like an AI robot, one that only acts in accordance to the wishes of it's Creator.

But isn't he the Creator right now?! Does this mean he needs more power to be recognized, or overthrow the set system?

Kai stomped out in fury and for the first time, not as Kai, but the God of Time and Creation.

Tempus.

Tempus never thought he would play God, but here he is, relying on his godly powers to save what's left of his creation.

"Tempus."

Kai sent his final message to his country's royal family before turning to greet the rude guest.

"Morax." One of the 7 victors of war, a newly appointed Archon, entered without announcing anything beforehand and immediately strides towards Kai.

When Morax stops in front of him, there's an awkward silence between them, and Kai knows this man is waiting for something.

"No." But Kai declines. He's got why too much things to deal with and he's not going to do something he's done too many times.

"Guizhong is dead." Kai frowns, ah, of course.

"Please." Morax pleads, and Kai is put at odds when seeing the Lord of Geo so weak, so desperate.

"Morax. You know I cannot."

"Kai." He almost hisses, and Kai could care less.

"I'll do anything to bring everyone back."

"They will die no matter what."

Because I wrote it.

"Shut up!" Kai does not flinch when the God of Contracts claws at him. He simply stares into those golden eyes of fury and desperation.

"Turn back time! Do it!" The entire world quakes at his call, and Tempus is stuck.

Stuck between pity and reality.

"If I do, what will you do? What can you do?" Tempus responds, tired of this entire show. He groans when he felt strong claws around his neck.

"I'll save Guizhong! I'll stop the Archon war!"

"You'll only suffer and regret." Like him.

"I will not." The resolve in his voice is undeniable.

"If only you had been there with me then Guizhong-"

"Will die. If not by the war, then by her people."

"What?" Morax freezes, and Kai could hear the bitter realization hit him.

"If not by her people, then by fate. If not by fate, then by Celestia, by YOU! You of all people know even Gods die, Morax. It's a war." Kai is sick of it.

Tempus tried everything, but he is a powerless, useless god against his own pen in his home world.

Morax inhales, then exhales.

"Do it. Turn back time."

Tempus sighs, a distant memory of a determined, hard-working, and adorable adepti resurfaced in his mind.

He remembers laughing and writing Zhongli's character-

"One chance." Then the Lord of Geo lets go and bows.

"Thank you." Tempus puts a hand on Morax's bloodied shoulder and closes his eyes.

This conversation turns into one of the past.

The Archon war occurs, and Tempus watches Morax fail.

If he prevents one red flag, another arises.

Everything repeats, like a never-ending cycle of torture.

"Morax."

"Tempus." The God of Time stops behind his sitting figure in front of Guizhong and many of his colleagues' graves.

Tempus puts a glazed lily on each of the graves and offers his own condolences.

"Morax. It's over now. Return."

"And where would I return?" Tempus holds out his hand.

"Then, come with me."

Morax accepted and followed.

For some reason, Morax holds onto his hand like his lifeline, and Tempus allows him.

Just like that, the two Gods made their way to Temporium, a land where time moves differently than in the rest of the world.

Temporium is a wonderful nation.

Old as time, this country is the first nation Tempus raised from the ground. It is also the country that he chose to call "home".

The royal family is the one that manages the country and Tempus is merely a guide and protector, helping them navigate the dangers of the past and the future.

His protective shield around this land slows down or speeds up time within the shield, creating a safe haven that is immune to any outside influences.

Kai wants to make this country similar to his real home.

Before he was thrown into this madness.

Tempus leads Morax into a transparent dome known as a green house and stops.

"Morax. Time is limited. So cherish it."

Surrounded by flowers and greenery, there stood a woman with a gentle smile.

"Morax?"

Tempus watches them reunite and thinks that losing sleep is worth it.

Looking up into the skies, Tempus thinks that since he was able to change fate, just slightly, it means Tempus is stronger, but not enough.

Celestia is wavering.

But he's too late.

Too many died, and too many suffered due to his hand. He can't just turn back time, for he will also revert to the past "him".

Nevertheless, Tempus swore to change the plot, and maybe, just maybe, end this never-ending madness.

Seeing as to how Morax and Guizhong are fine, Tempus disappears and reappears under a cherry blossom tree.

There was another person he saved, a sister and leader to many. There, two sisters cried in each other’s arms like no tomorrow.

Tempus watches solemnly, and repeats the same disappearing and reappearing, many times.

Tempus shouldn't be at this tea party.

"Morax. Let's rebuild Liyue."

"Guizhong. They betrayed you." Morax clearly looks like he was withholding his rage.

"I know." Guizhong acknowledges, but isn't afraid.

"But even so, I understand their reasons. To protect their land from an unwanted war."

Her kindness knows no bounds. Truly, no one deserves her.

"Thus Morax, this time, we will rebuild Liyue with the adepti, and we will stand together. As always."

"Guizhong. I...cannot afford to lose you again." She smiles wistfully, and then looks at Tempus.

"I too am afraid of disappearing, and without Tempus, perhaps I would have perished. It was he who saved me and led me to his realm to heal. For that, thank you."

Morax too bows in gratitude.

"I apologize that I cannot save everyone."

"That would be too much to ask from you, Tempus. For you are not an omnipotent, omniscient or omnipresent God."

For the first time, Tempus feels slightly relieved at someone's words.

"I'm sure you did your best and already changed so many people’s lives."

Huh. A soft smile blooms on his face and the two seemed surprised.

Truly, no one deserves her.

Eventually they leave, and Tempus, sends them off peacefully, wishing them the best.

Then, Liyue is built once again.

This time, they build the foundation and protect the city together.

But again, even the gods cannot go against time.

When Guizhong dies, she dies as she scatters her wisdom all over Liyue, to her people, to her country and to her loved ones.

This time, she dies without regrets.

This time, she dies because Celestia told her it was time.

There was no forewarning, but it looked like she knew.

She spent the last of her time with Morax and Tempus before she fades and flutters away like dust.

Again, Morax receives a stone dumbbell, challenging him to unlock.

But this time, there was one thing that changed.

"Morax, I hope you can befriend Tempus. He's the oldest of all gods, the one who has drifted the longest among all. Yet, he is perhaps the one that is the loneliest and wisest, or perhaps that is why he acts the way he acts." She says after she gives him her dumbbell.

"If I have one regret, it would be that I have never gained his trust."

"Guizhong, that's impossible-"

"Morax, he has never shown us more than courtesy and kindness. Maybe I am greedy, but I want to become a friend to all." She smiles.

"That is why, I hope you can be his friend in place of I."

"Of course. By your gift, I pledge to fulfill your will." Morax holds her hand as she disintegrates.

"Thank you Morax. I hope only happiness and prosperity follow you."

Like dust, they slip through his fingers and disappear.

Like all of his comrades, friends, and loved ones.

And Tempus could only watch from the distance like a powerless God he is.

"The loneliest and wisest huh..."

He could only laugh bitterly.

"Tempus."

"Morax." The god replies with a low hum, "What brings you here?"

"I want to give you my gratitude."

"No need." Tempus does not turn to greet him, but simply continues to write. Morax watches him write with a mysterious utensil, a pen.

Tempus truly is worthy of being called a genius amongst geniuses.

A god who built a country, and protected his realm despite the Archon War, and survived. No wonder he is heavily respected and worshiped by his people.

"Teach me."

The god stops.

"What are you talking about?"

"Teach me how to build Liyue."

"It's already built."

"How to govern as a God." Without Guizhong and his friends, Morax is incapable of running a country. His hands were made to fight and seal monsters, not to care for people.

"You do not need to govern a country. Barbatos-"

"He's a fool." Morax heard a muffled laugh.

"But his country is still functioning quite well isn't it?" Tempus turns around, his azure eyes meets his golden ones.

"Tempus."

"What will I get in return? God of Contracts?" Tempus smiles before he stands.

"What do you need?"

"Trade." Morax blinks.

"Free trade amongst civilians. No taxes or barriers." Morax doesn't quite understand his terms, but he's willing to learn.

"I accept."

"You don't even know what I said didn't you?" Tempus crosses his arms and shook his head.

"I believe you are a fair person and one who will teach me what I need to know.”

“Just like old times isn’t it?”

This was Morax's first contract, and certainly won't be the last.

Time passes quickly, and soon, Morax and Barbatos become the two of the original seven left.

Despite this, Tempus does his job as both a Creator and babysitter job well.

He ensures Gods fulfill their duty and if they need help, they can seek him out. If Tempus ever saw something worth his time (which is like...every time), he too would interfere, gaining the Archons' favour.

He realized the power of the butterfly effect. From saving Gods such as Guizhong and Makoto, even with what little power he had during the Archon War to extend their life, it played an immense part in changing the Archons themselves.

Again, too much work, and too little time.

Even if he slows down time, he could never get enough sleep.

It's also blatantly obviously the Archons are treating him too well, but he originally thought it made sense with all the effort he put in to change the plot.

But their affectionate gestures increased after they found of he was the Creator.

Tempus really shouldn't have told Morax this a while back and allowed him to tell the other Archons. Luckily, he prevented them from telling anyone else under the pretense that it was his order.

Even so, Kai finally feels a little more at ease. He could finally get some sleep.

Could he really complain about the children (Archons) when they gave him the most premium material to sleep on?

Or hear a private concert from a certain bard?

Or try out the best food in the jungles?

Or let him sleep under the giant cherry blossoms whenever he wants?

Or take him out to a hot springs in Liyue?

"Kai. How are you feeling?" Zhongli asks from behind him, who is washing his long, long hair.

"Good...Thanks...Zhongli."

Kai can finally relax a bit and it’s well deserved. Taking care of kids is hard. Much less 7 at once.

At least they’re paying him back with interest.

Zhongli couldn't help but smile proudly when the sleepless God fell asleep in his domain.

He'd be sure to brag about this at their next Archon meeting.

Not knowing it would be their last.

#manga #genshin impact #genshin fanfic #genshin fluff #genshin #genshin imagines #genshin x reader #genshin sagau #zhongli #genshin morax #genshin impact morax #morax #rex lapis #genshin x oc #genshin x male reader #zhongli x oc #zhongli x reader

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dragonfly0808 · 4 months

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The Trix’s Fates

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE END OF SEASON 3 AND WHAT HAPPENS TO THE TRIX

Well well well… I’ve got some explaining to do.

I knew from very early on that I wanted the Trix to have a tragic ending, with one of them dying, one of them going crazy and one of them just being utterly defeated at the loss of the other two. After some debating, I pretty quickly knew who would end up with which fate.

So… I’ll go by parts, going from oldest to youngest, starting with:

Icy

Icy is the one who goes crazy, losing her mind.

I chose her for this since she’s the leader and the oldest, and losing one of her sisters leads her to fully going off the deep end, she goes too far, gets in too deep.

At the beginning of her story, Icy is very controlled, very paicient and has a full plan. She’s crafty, resourceful and has a family history with dark magic and the dragon flame.

But what sets her off the road is no longer fully being in control due to being out of balance after losing a sister and no longer caring about what happens to her. She has no real end-plan, she has no real goal other than to get back at the Winx and hurt them as much as she can. She was no longer interested in the Ancestral Witches until her plan of collapsing Andros was thwarted.

Icy has a lot of warnings, the very first being when Darcy decides to leave, refusing to stay and watch Icy get herself killed. Instead of letting go and running away like Darcy begs her to do, Icy chooses revenge.

She goes to her home planet, her uncle tries to dissuade her, to warn her of the dangers of the magic that has taken the lives of too many family members, she kills him in order to access that same magic.

She has chances to stop, but she chooses revenge, she feels like she has no other purpose, no other road to take other than to finish what she started the very first time she attacked Bloom.

Icy goes crazy and loses control because it’s the complete opposite of who she was when the story started, she loses everything, included herself.

She choses revenge, choses to continue her family’s mistakes, choses to take the risk of awakening the Ancestral Witches but in the end, she loses it all to those very choices.

Stormy

I went a bit deeper into Stormy’s fate in another post but I chose Stormy to be the one who dies to show her being a bit of a self-fullfiling prophecy, her rage, the very thing that often gives her an edge in battle and helps her in her power to become stronger, is the very thing that kills her.

I chose Stormy to be the one killed also because I had very specific storylines in mind for Darcy and Icy but as for Stormy I just felt like dying would actually be the most interesting, unexpected thing I could do with her.

I thought it could be a very tragic thing to see Stormy, who we know to be fearless and brash and impulsive… die due to a mistake, die in fear of something that she created.

In case you somehow haven’t noticed, I love angst

Darcy

Darcy is the last one standing… well… ‘standing’. I thought that my version of Darcy would be the most devastated to be left alone.

Darcy in my rewrite, has never really been alone. At first she had her brother, then she had Riven, then she had the Trix.

She’s the youngest, the one that they want to protect the most.

To her, being alone is truly the worst case scenario, which is why I chose her to have that fate cause I am cruel. Darcy herself tells Riven in their final goodbye that she’s not used to being alone and that she isn’t good at it.

She gives up. A big part of her dies with her sisters and she turns her back to the ideas of revenge and dark magic.

She was always the ‘lesser evil’ of the Trix, which I feel makes it even more tragic that she ends up so very alone.

Darcy is betrayed once by her brother, being left alone, then she betrays Riven, leaving him on his own, and in the end, Stormy is killed and, seeing Icy is heading down a road that will end in death or worse, Darcy can’t bring herself to watch, to keep going.

————

The reason why I wanted to overall make the Trix’s fates so drastic and tragic was for 2 main reasons.

First off, as a contrast. We see the Winx keep growing and becoming more powerful, while the Trix, as a commenter once said, peaked in high school and have just been going downhill, not truly developing their power after becoming convinced they were at the top of their game in s1.

The second was to show consequences and how high the stakes were for s3. To go all in with the angst and show how, the very first villains of Veiled Wings are destroyed by s3, while our heroes are very much affected and nearly destroyed by s3, but manage to prevail.

#Veiled wings anniversary #veiled wings and shattered panoramas #winx club #winx rewrite #winx #winx headcannon #winx fanfic #winx headcanons #winx trix #winx icy #winx darcy #winx stormy

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sapchat · 8 months

Text

I'll Share Azriel x Rhysand's sister!Reader

Summary: After being Azriel's mate for so many years, you've both learned what you're comfortable with.

This is my first ever time ever actually writing fanfiction so... that's not anxiety inducing.

Life after Hybern was... easy. At least easy in the sense that instead of war planning during the days you now spend it babysitting, trying to learn a new hobby even though it gets dropped barley three days later, or just sitting around with the inner circle and learning about the others. Granted the last part mainly pertained to the newest members: the Archeron sisters and Lucien, with the occasional Varian.

It had been another night of casual drinking, for everyone but Cassian who was at least two extra glasses ahead of everyone else. The Illyrian general was the one to convince everyone else to join though.

You had been sat between Feyre and Azriel with Nesta, who had taken Rhys' spot, beside her. Elain had chosen to sit to the left of Azriel and the two had been conversing for the last little bit as you learned more about your High Lady and her oldest sister.

Feyre had been glancing over at you as she took another sip of her wine before finally deciding to say what she had thought.

"I've got to ask. Most females... would have already gotten upset by the closeness of another by their mate." She finished her statement by glancing around you and looking at how close Elain had gotten to Azriel.

His hand was still rubbing small circles into your thigh as he conversed with the middle Archeron, his other hand occupied by dragging a finger around the rim of his glass.

Persing your lips you glanced back at Feyre and sighed, "Me and Azriel have been together for almost as long as we've been alive truly. We've known about the bond since the death of mine and Rhys' mother and sister and accepted the bond a few years after I had healed from the accident." You took a glance at Azriel and turned you head back to Feyre where Nesta had also decided to fully tune into the conversation.

"We have had our ups and downs like all relationships, especially after I lost my wings and then came to terms with that. However, we have also found ways to... keep our relationship going. That includes with occasionally trying new things... or new people." You ended the sentence slowly as if you were going to say something else but decided this was the better way of saying it.

"So, what every couple decades or so you both just fuck other people?" Nesta asked glancing at you then Azriel and her sister.

You chuckled and breathed in to say, "Not... not like that. We just... sometimes invite someone new to join us. It's something we started a century or so ago. With rules of course! We both have to agree to the other person, and we all set guidelines to follow when we do it."

"So in a way it's just spicing it all up." Feyre stated even if it sounded more like the High Lady wanted to question it even more.

You turned your entire body towards them, so your back was against Azriel's side, his hand moving to the right side of your hip to hold as he continued whatever he was talking to Elain about.

"Listen. After about two and a half centuries, when you both have lots of outside stressors or new experiences in life you want to start trying new things. And sometimes that includes inviting someone to join you and your mate or sleeping partner." You explained. The two Archeron sisters nodded along, Feyre looking towards Rhys, pursed her lips and then back at you.

"So..." Nesta dragged out, "With this situation?" She nodded her head towards Elain and Azriel.

You turned your head backwards at the two in question and back to answer the conversation.

"The invitations go both ways. If he wants to invite someone, we talk about it and the same goes for if I want to invite someone. That being said, if Azriel wants to invite Elain into our bed, I'm okay with sharing." You stated with a smirk and took a sip as the two sisters looked at the middle Archeron and back to you and Azriel who at that moment leaned into you, kissed the side of your neck then winked at his High Lady and the oldest Archeron before going back to his conversation with the middle Archeron sister.

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stiltonbasket · 1 year

Note

stilton please show us vampire wwx and fae lwj's first meeting omg

Despite the bothersome needs of his body, Wei Wuxian did not make a habit of preying on humans.

His mother had never taught him how to hunt, out of fear that he would grow to prefer human blood above all other food and so risk death by discovery of his nature. As such, Wei Wuxian subsisted on raw meat he killed for himself and blood taken from wild beasts and livestock: except on the rare occasions when he drank human blood to speed his healing, as he was obliged to do tonight.

The injury had been completely his own fault. Wei Wuxian knew how to avoid being recognized for what he was, but he had been caught feeding his own blood to a little child suffering from lung fever, since dead or living flesh from a vampire was a panacea for most mortal ailments; and as the case so often was when a docile vampire was found living among humans, Wei Wuxian was promptly set upon by a mob intent on killing him and grinding him down for medicine.

He escaped into the nearby wood with an arrow lodged in his shoulder and another in his back; and after he left the mob behind, he ran for another shichen and a half before collapsing in a moon-dappled clearing surrounded by oak trees.

He lay there without moving for a little while, but at last he struggled upright and removed the two small arrows from his back. The wounds would close by dawn, as long as he sated his hunger before then; so after a short nap, he got back to his feet and began searching the ground for footprints.

At this rate, it'll be noon before I find anyone, he thought disconsolately. Unluckily—or perhaps luckily, for Wei Wuxian—people from Jieyu Village rarely entered the forest, for there was no good hunting to be found inside, and anyone who ventured further than a li into the wood came back muddle-headed and strange, as if they had been poisoned with a sleeping potion or dealt a harsh blow to the head. Hence, the townsfolk had long since learned to keep out save in the direst need, when they braved the darkness of the wood to find medicinal herbs that refused to grow anywhere but in the long shadows of the forest's oldest trees.

It was in one such shadow that Wei Wuxian's search finally ended, when he stumbled across a hollow that held a bed of red maple leaves and a young man lying in a sleep so deep that Wei Wuxian's heavy breathing did not rouse him.

"Oh," he murmured, falling to his knees in relief. The young man appeared human, but not fully so; Wei Wuxian thought he might be half tree spirit, or some kind of divine beast taking the form of a youth. But whatever he was, he could spare more of his blood than a normal man; so Wei Wuxian snatched up his hand and sank his teeth into the boy's wrist, swallowing as quickly as he could until the two gashes in his back began to itch and scab over.

Within the next minute, the wounds had vanished. Wei Wuxian released the man's wrist and stood up, wiping his mouth on his dirty sleeve—and found himself struggling for breath with his back pressed flat against a tree, and the blade of a bright silver sword hovering an inch from his throat.

The young man was awake, staring down at Wei Wuxian like a hunter looking down the length of his bow at a rabbit. Wei Wuxian parted his lips to speak before crying out in terror as the blade skimmed the soft flesh at his neck—and then he looked up, petrified, to find his attacker wheeling backwards as if Wei Wuxian had kicked him.

"Ha!" he shouted, his fear dying away; for he had quite forgotten the other reason behind his mother's warnings to stay away from humans. "You're in my thrall now, young master. Now, be good and don't move until I'm gone, or—or I'll make you throw that pretty sword of yours into the river."

The man drew himself up to his full height and glared at him. He did not move, still bound by the power of Wei Wuxian's enthrallment; but then he narrowed his eyes and smiled, and Wei Wuxian's heart leapt with a thrill that was half fear and something he could not quite recognize.

A moment later, he was pressed against the tree again, so weak in the knees that he would have fallen if not for the white arms clasped about his waist.

"What did you do to me?" Wei Wuxian whispered. "I told you to stand still, so how—"

"You should have made certain you were biting a human, xuemo," the man hissed. "A being like you should know the consequences of eating faerie food without permission."

"But I didn't eat any food," Wei Wuxian said groggily. All desire to move left his weary limbs, and he slumped forward into his captor's embrace like a—

"Oh," he gasped, stumbling back. "You're a fae. Fae food is anything made by a faerie that can be eaten, and when I drank your blood, I..."

"Precisely." The man—or the fae, he realized now—released Wei Wuxian's waist and stepped away. "I am in your thrall, and you are under the power of my enchantment. Remove your enthrallment, and I will swear an oath never to enchant you again."

Wei Wuxian grimaced. Fae were bound to their oaths, and could not break them upon pain of death; but Wei Wuxian had no idea how to break an enthrallment, or whether an enthrallment could be broken at all.

"What?" the fae growled. "What kind of a vampire are you, that you do not know how to do such a simple thing?"

"A half-blooded one," Wei Wuxian protested. "My father was mortal, and my mother was killed when I was a child. I've never met another xuemo besides her."

The fae was silent. "Can't you lift the enchantment on me anyway, young master?"

"Why should I?" the faerie demanded. "You could force me to do anything, if you wanted to. This enchantment is my only protection."

"But I wouldn't!" wailed Wei Wuxian. "I didn't even realize I'd enthralled you until you tried to kill me!"

"Forgive me if I do not believe you," the fae said dryly. "I am aware that xuemo are capable of hunting without using venom to gain power over their victims. You chose to use your venom on me."

"It's difficult to hunt that way! My mother died before she could teach me how, so I don't touch humans unless I have no other choice."

At this, the faerie sighed and lowered his sword.

"Why were you in the forest at all?" he asked. "This is fae territory. If you were in dire need of human blood, you should have gone south to the village at the base of the mountains."

"That's where I'm from," Wei Wuxian muttered, folding his arms. "I've been living there in disguise for the last ten years, but the village head caught me feeding my blood to his daughter, so I can't go back. If I do, I'll be slaughtered and ground down for pills."

The fae blinked. "They attacked you? Are you wounded, then?"

He sounded almost worried, which Wei Wuxian thought was very kind of him. He must not be the dangerous sort of fae, if he had it in his heart to worry about a blood demon who had enthralled him against his will.

"En, I was. But your blood healed me, faster than human blood would have done—so for that, I am in your debt."

"No need."

They stood without speaking for a little while, staring fixedly at the ground as they wondered what to do next.

"I know someone who may be able to help us," the fae said hesitantly, after about a ke had passed. "There is a dragon guarding the river that runs through this forest, and he lives only a few miles away from here. He always seems to know more than he should, so we might go there for help."

Wei Wuxian nodded and dusted his robes off; and with that, they set off down a dirt track that led into a denser, darker part of the forest, where the trees grew so close together that Wei Wuxian had to hold the faerie's hand to keep him in his line of sight.

He had never felt such a touch before, for it was both firm and gentle. directing Wei Wuxian through the wood without seeming to lead him at all.

For some reason, the young fae refused to let go of him until they reached the water dragon's lair two hours later; and despite himself, Wei Wuxian found himself wishing that the two of them could have met in better circumstances.

We might even have been friends! he thought, laughing wistfully to himself. Aiyah, he's not a bad sort. Maybe I'll come back to see him sometime, after this dragon of his finds a way to break the thrall.

But it was not to be; for the moment the water dragon rolled out of his den and spotted their linked hands, it threw back its great scaly head and burst into laughter.

"Stop laughing," the faerie ordered. "We have come here for help, Huaisang. This blood demon is subject to my powers of compulsion, and he has me under his thrall, but neither of us intended this to happen. How can we remove his thrall, so that I may safely release my command over him in turn?"

The dragon laughed for a long, long while, rolling about in the soft grass like a child, and then it looked up at the faerie and said:

"Forgive my rudeness. Congratulations, Wangji-xiong."

"What for?"

The dragon's eyes gleamed.

"For your marriage."

#wangxian #mo dao zu shi #the untamed #lan wangji #wei wuxian #nie huaisang #mdzs #omg i loved this au #send me prompts if you want to see more hehe #prompt fill #my fic

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albentelisa · 4 months

Note

Hello ☺️

I know you've done general Jim, jlaire, and troll dad Blinky headcanons, but do you have any specific to the new timeline and even beyond? I love all of your ask posts btw, such fantastic Au's and our hc generally almost always align!

Hi!

Thanks for your kind words ❤ ❤ ❤

My oldest headcanon about the new timeline exists since July, 21, 2021 (when I wrote this oneshot https://archiveofourown.org/works/32729335 ). This one is that Jim keeps the new amulet and Excalibur in the new timeline.

My other headcanons about the new timeline and beyond were build through the two and half years (a lot of stuff keeps expanding, to be honest).

So here's my really long post about the happy ending for everyone.

Jim has managed to make everything right in this timeline, even with some stuff he didn't predict (like Enrique was still kidnapped - it just happened on a different date).

Everyone in the new timelines has these odd hunches about things they experienced in the first timeline. Like Claire having some odd attraction to Jim, Blinky being fatherly to Jim, and Barbara getting random thoughts that Strickler might be inhuman. Toby has it the worst as he can't help but think that everything is not his adventure and that Jim would be a better hero.

Because of hunches both Claire and Barbara find out the truth way earlier.

However, Toby is the first who realize that Jim somehow knows about all the incoming events. Jim has no choice but to confess about the time travel. He keeps the details from everyone though, especially those that might cause complications.

Jim brings Douxie into the team before the final encounter with Bular. Claire requests Douxie to become her magic teacher once she joins and he agrees.

Aja, Krel, and Varvatos join once they arrive on Earth.

Draal lives. Vendel is injured but also survives.

Angor gets his soul back this time. He isn't happy with Strickler but decides to let it go per Jim's request.

Toby spares Bular (much to Jim's shock). Bular starts to live in Toby's house, trying to reconsider his ways. Initially, Draal watches his actions and they eventually become friends.

Morgana fails to possess Claire. She possesses Angor instead.

Strickler manages to convince some changelings to switch sides, so more changelings survive.

Jim doesn't allow Merlin to transform anyone into a half-troll. He shows Merlin Excalibur (leaving the latter speechless), so Merlin begrudgingly agrees to try Jim's plan first.

After Gunmar's death, Bular inherits Decimaar and uses it to liberate all the trolls his father controlled.

Jim and Claire talk Morgana into trying to give co-existence a second chance. She isn't convinced fully but agrees to wait.

The residents of the Trollmarket never go to New Jersey, which means that Aja and Krel have more people to help them.

Jim is deadset on never letting anyone be hit with an onyx shard. He ends up taking the hit for Claire - only to discover that it has no effect on him (as Excalibur cannot harm his owner and Jim is technically another owner because of the time paradox).

Merlin isn't happy to learn that the Green Knight is actually King Arthur. The same goes for Morgana, but she blames Merlin for her brother ending that way.

Merlin finally realizes that he has been too stubborn all the time, refusing to see other options. He uses all his magic to seal Bellroc and Skrael and entrusts Douxie with leading the new king of Camelot.

AND NOW TO BEYOND

Jim is technically the King of Camelot now, which makes him rather uncomfortable at first. However, with Douxie's encouragement, he realizes that more than an authority figure, he's King of knights, a noble protector of both humanity and magical beings, and the first among equals.

Claire continues with her magical studies, fully determined to prove that shadowmancy isn't always evil and can bring much good to this world. She consults a lot with Morgana, even though she still considers Douxie her teacher.

Toby is still this timeline's Trollhunter but lately, he mostly deals with small errands from Bagdwella and other trolls. He doesn't mind as it feels a lot like vacation after everything the team has gone through.

Blinky succeeds Vendel as the leader of Trollmarket. He thinks about bringing some reform to the Tribunal and some obsolete traditions, thinking that trolls should start a new page in their history.

Aaarrrgghh always helps Blinky in his endeavors, but he protects peace in Arcadia. He's much like a local celebrity and kids love him.

Mary and Darci start a blog about various magical creatures, trying to show humans that the supernatural isn't that harmful. Mary also tries to date a troll at some point. It doesn't work, but only because of personality differences, not because their species are too different.

Barbara returns to drawing. Strickler uses some of his connections to promote her art a bit. Surprisingly, Barbara's art becomes really popular.

After some consideration, Strickler opens the school where different creatures, aliens, and humans can exchange their culture. He takes over as a principal and also teaches human history. Blinky comes over for troll history lessons, and when Claire is older she starts to teach Human World Literature there.

Eli is still the Earth ambassador at Akiridion-5, he's rather popular there. Eli is also the one who proposes the start of technological exchange with the Earth. Due to his efforts, Earth's technical progress is busted tremendously.

Steve the head of New Camelot Knights. However, eventually, once he is sure that everything is peaceful on Earth, he moves to Akiridion-5 to support Aja and help Eli. Even though Steve is officially married to Aja, he isn't that accepted at Akiridion-5 as it is technically breaking traditions. This time Aja informs him about all the nuances of akiridion reproduction. They still have kids, but only once both ready and consented to that.

Aja has a lot of stuff to solve, dealing with all the consequences of her parents' rule. She brings in lots of reforms and eventually limits her own authority, taking over the role of the main Akiridion-5 protector, while leaving everything else to those more fitting for it.

Krel moves to Earth, becoming Akiridion-5 ambassador and trying to popularize interstellar travels and exchange. He also has a side career as DJ Kleb.

Varvatos retires and starts living with Nana. Toby calls him granpa, which he doesn't like.

Douxie and Zoe go on the world tour with ADP once the world destruction is prevented. Claire, Mary, and Darci join them as Mama Skull.

Douxie opens his own cafe together with Jim. While they both are co-owners, Douxie enjoys taking over as a waiter occasionally, while Jim often cooks. It's the place where every creature is welcome, and well the Guardians often use it as their gathering spot.

Nomura becomes the leader of changelings who wish to return to troll society. Draal helps her a lot to fight for acceptance and against prejudices. They claim each other as mates, which causes an uproar in some circles. Even though both claim to be disastrous parents, they are great once they have their own kids.

Vendel retires, fully enjoying his rest. He comes to give blinky advice occasionally, but he's mostly a grumpy grandpa for everyone at the Trollmarket.

Dictatious takes over the troll library, adding some stuff he learns.

Angor goes on a travel (for an atonement, as he claims). He's seen all over the world, fighting against slavery and injustice at night. Soon enough he becomes a kind of city legend, and a lot of criminals are scared of him.

Bular goes to the Darklands, fully intending to reform the Gumm-Gumm tribe and get rid of the stigma they have.

Barbara and Strickler have their planned wedding and adopt some of the changelings' familiars, including Strickler's and Nomura.

Ironically, despite Jim and Claire being sure of each other feelings, Toby and Darci have their wedding first. It's the final push that makes Claire propose to Jim.

Enrique grows up to be a party monster, much because of NotEnrique's influence. They both tend to start parties which only Jim can stop.

Zelda (Nomura's familiar) is a huge fan of classical music, so they both can chat about it for hours. No one else is able to follow.

Wallie (Strickler's familiar), however, finds history boring. He's more of an IT and Math kid and is extremely talented. Strickler tells him the truth about their connection, and Wallie goes to live with Jim for some time to sort out his feelings. He forgives Strickler after some time though.

The world keeps changing as humans and supernatural beings learn to co-exist. Trolls take over dangerous mining, trading some difficult-to-get minerals. Humans also realize that trolls can eat some waste, which creates new ways to save nature. Nari feels that it's the world she, Bellroc, and Skrael wished to have before giving up and hopes that one day the rest of the Arcane Order will be unsealed and admit they were wrong.

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robininthelabyrinth · 9 months

Text

The Other Mountain - ao3 - Chapter 13

Pairing: Lan Qiren/Wen Ruohan

Warning Tags on Ao3

———————————————————————-

“When you say gone and missing, what precisely do you mean?” Wen Ruohan asked.

Wang Liu shrugged. “Exactly that, Sect Leader. The two heirs of Gusu Lan were last seen at their lessons, shortly before the delegation left for the Yunmeng, and not since.”

It wasn’t that Wen Ruohan hadn’t understood what his spy meant. It was just that he couldn’t believe it.

“In the sense that they were kidnapped,” he said slowly, “or in the sense that they’ve run away?”

“It is my belief that the latter is more likely. There have been no recent threats, and Gusu Lan’s gate wards remain unbroken – no one without a pass token has entered or exited.”

That was at least something, Wen Ruohan supposed. Still, when Lan Qiren found out…

Wen Ruohan did not want to imagine Lan Qiren’s reaction to finding out that his brother had somehow managed to misplace Lan Qiren’s beloved nephews. Not after all the work he’d put into keeping the man intact for his own purposes! And for that matter, how had Qingheng-jun permitted something like that to happen? He’d only had sole guardianship of the boys for a handful of months! They were his own sons and heirs!

Wen Ruohan was not particularly fond of children, not even his own, and his taste for the pleasures of familial life had largely evaporated after the death of his first family. But he hadn’t gotten to where he was by being careless, and so Wen Ruohan made a point of always knowing where his sons were, what they were doing, and what company they were keeping at any given time. To not know that was to invite disaster, and that was even without behaving in such a way as to make them think running away was a better option!

Currently, Wen Xu, his oldest, was at nearly fifteen finally getting to the point that he was worth talking to. About half a year prior, he’d expressed an interest in the army and Wen Ruohan had happily granted his wish, sending him to train under one of his generals. Lu Qipei had made some token protests about her son leaving her side, but she’d been satisfied enough with the placement. Wen Ruohan suspected she would have preferred that he just give the boy command outright, never mind that he was underage – but as Wen Ruohan had not yet reached that depth of madness, he ignored all her hints and hoped instead that Wen Xu would actually genuinely learn something from the experience. In contrast, Wen Chao was only eight, so he remained in the Nightless City, but his daily life was filled with tutors and friends, overseen by his mother (and Lu Qipei, who often offered her “help”). Wen Ruohan had assigned him Wen Zhuliu, the Core-melting Hand, as a bodyguard and personal servant, ensuring that no one would ever dare challenge or threaten his son.

He certainly had never lost either of them.

Much less both!

Oh, Lan Qiren was definitely going to have another meltdown when he heard the news. Wen Ruohan couldn’t even imagine what that one would be like…and Wen Ruohan did not want him to have another meltdown. He had plans! Plans that involved Lan Qiren being of sound mind!

And now Qingheng-jun was, through sheer negligence, going to mess with those plans.

Wen Ruohan reached up and pressed his forehead above the bridge of his nose in a rare outward concession to his frustration.

“Do the Lan know where their heirs went?” he asked, forcefully restraining his temper. Thoughts of stabbing Qingheng-jun were pleasant, but not productive. However he might feel about the other man at the moment, he was the sect leader of a Great Sect, and not trifled with lightly. “For that matter, if their heirs are missing, why isn’t there more of a frenzy on their side?”

“The Lan sect disciples at the Cloud Recesses are trying to see if they can find the heirs before reporting to Sect Leader Lan on their absence,” Wang Liu reported, which made sense. Better to report that they’d temporarily misplaced the children rather than have to report having lost them, minimizing the fact of their failure by mitigating it in advance. “It was initially believed that they were simply hiding away somewhere in the Cloud Recesses, possibly as some sort of protest, but they’ve since ruled that out. They’ve sent disciples down to Caiyi and are now searching there. If they can’t find them there…”

Then they’d have no choice but to send a message to their sect leader, confessing all.

After all, the boys were only nine and six. They weren’t exactly accustomed to travel. If they weren’t in the Cloud Recesses, and they weren’t in the nearby town, and the only people who’d passed the Lan sect’s gates were those with the approved pass tokens, the only plausible place they could be was...

Here.

“You got the news early?” Wen Ruohan asked, then nodded in approval when Wang Liu confirmed. “Well done.”

“Thank you, Sect Leader. Your grace is immeasurable. Do you want us to start searching Gusu Lan’s baggage for them now? We could find and secure them before the Lan sect admits to themselves that they are lost.”

It was a tempting thought. Wen Ruohan could imagine the scene now: Lan Qiren noticing the increasing hubbub on the Lan sect’s side and growing concerned, eventually (reluctantly) turning to ask Wen Ruohan if he knew anything, Wen Ruohan drawing him off to the side to privately tell him, Lan Qiren’s moment of shock and horror, delicious in its suffering, which then melted away into profound relief and appreciation when Wen Ruohan murmured in his ear that he’d already sent people for them and found them – that they were safe, and secure, and with him –

Wen Ruohan wasn’t sure exactly what would happen after that, but he was certain it wouldn’t be boring.

It was a beautiful image.

Sadly, common sense intervened.

“No need,” Wen Ruohan said. “Let us not risk your cover on such a thing.”

Even if he found the boys first, he wouldn’t be able to take them away without being caught. The Lan sect was on the verge of confessing to their sect leader that the children had been lost. Once they did that, a search would undoubtedly begin at once, and then it would be impossible for him to hide the fact that he’d ordered his men to start the search early. Once that came out, whether or not he’d secured them by then, he would be blamed for having tried to spirit them away – and unfortunately, there were still things Wen Ruohan could not do, lines he could not cross and taboos he could not violate. Neither his power nor his insanity had yet grown to the level where he thought he could get away with stealing the heirs of the other sects.

(Yet. That was what Lan Qiren was for.)

Wang Liu must not have thought of that. Well, he was still relatively new.

“Sect Leader, are you sure?” Wang Liu asked, frowning. “If we miss this chance, it is unlikely we will be able to gain access to the children in the future – ”

“I’m certain,” Wen Ruohan said firmly, making it clear that his patience was starting to slip. He appreciated his spies, but he did not permit anyone to question his decisions. “You’re dismissed.”

Wang Liu saluted respectfully and absented himself very quickly. Presumably he still remembered what happened to people that got on Wen Ruohan’s bad side.

Wen Ruohan forgot about Wang Liu the moment he left, instead opting to look around the room he was in, the one used to store the considerable luggage his sect had brought with them, with a critical eye. After a moment, he pulled out a piece of talisman paper from his sleeve. He hadn’t bothered doing this for himself in ages, but calling for a servant would take both more time and more energy – for the talisman, he just needed a few strokes, a twist of power, a little focus…

The talisman activated in a flash, splitting into four and flying onto all four walls of the room, the pattern on them stretching out until they covered the entirety of the walls, then dissipating. The gentle background sounds of the Lotus Pier went with them, the privacy arrays locking it all down into silence.

“There we go,” Wen Ruohan said, and smirked in triumph. “Would you like to come out now?”

No reaction at all.

“I know you’re there.”

Still nothing.

Fine, then. He’d go for the kill.

“And to think how upset Lan Qiren will be when I tell him that he missed you – ”

Two small heads, adorned with Lan sect ribbons, immediately popped up from one of the larger trunks, right where Wen Ruohan had noticed them earlier. His cultivation was too high for him not to have noticed the presence of two children hiding away close by like that: he’d heard the rustling of their robes, felt the small pulses of spiritual energy, smelled the faint hints of sandalwood from the incense packets hidden in their clothing. He hadn’t especially cared, of course, since they’d been too far away to hear or see him talking with Wang Liu – what did some stowaways matter?

Then he’d found out who they likely were.

After all, just because Wen Ruohan couldn’t search for them and couldn’t take them away didn’t mean there wasn’t an advantage to be had in finding them.

The older boy, who must be Lan Xichen, looked properly appalled, just like Lan Qiren when he was faced by some profound breach of etiquette, though on a far smaller and rounder face; it wasn’t clear whether it was because of Wen Ruohan’s implicit threat or simply the idea of his uncle being upset. The younger one, Lan Wangji, who was even rounder than his big brother and looked even more like a big soft bao, merely looked determined, hopping out of the trunk and marching straight towards Wen Ruohan, his two little fists gripped tightly at his side, teeth bared –

“Wangji, no!” Lan Xichen yelped, throwing himself forward.

Wen Ruohan bemusedly lowered his hand, which had very abruptly flown up to the level of his face – he’d had to withdraw it very quickly in order to keep from being bitten.

Bitten.

By a junior version of Lan Qiren!

“Where is Shufu?” the little boy demanded, heedless of his older brother rushing forward to try to tug him back. “Bring me to him right now!”

Lan Wangji was lucky that Wen Ruohan was too busy trying to imagine what Lan Qiren must have looked like at a similar age to strike him down for his insolence. The effort wasn’t working very well, even though Wen Ruohan assumed that Lan Qiren must have resembled Lan Wangji as he was now – but no, Wen Ruohan really just couldn’t see the other man as anything other than the antique he’d already been by his early twenties.

“Please let me apologize on my brother’s behalf, Senior Wen,” Lan Xichen said urgently. “He’s just very distressed, he doesn’t mean it.”

Wen Ruohan glanced down at him. “Do not tell lies,” he drawled, and Lan Xichen winced and turned red with embarrassment. “He most certainly meant it. And it’s Sect Leader Wen.”

It was only when both boys gasped that he realized that he should have kept his identity a secret. He hadn’t realized that they actually hadn’t recognized him – if he’d realized, he would have kept it back and used it as leverage, played with them until they’d said something particularly dreadful or embarrassing.

It just hadn’t occurred to him that they were being genuinely ignorant rather than just speaking too fast. Everyone recognized him.

But of course it made perfect sense that these little children wouldn’t. Lan Qiren had never allowed a single child of his sect under the age of thirteen anywhere near the discussion conferences, not even the ones his sect had hosted. Once someone had asked about it, more teasing than curious. In return Lan Qiren had given a ponderous frown and started reciting rules of etiquette in his dull monotone until everyone’s ears had started bleeding and the person who’d asked looked as though he regretted being born.

Moreover, these weren’t just any children, but Lan Qiren’s children. They probably even obeyed the rules against gossip…though it was fairly clear from the look of worry on both their faces that they had at least some notion about some of the rumors that accompanied Wen Ruohan’s name.

“You are the one who has Shufu,” Lan Wangji hissed like a little viper. “Give him back!”

“Wangji!”

Lan Xichen had to literally pick up his brother to keep him from lunging forward.

There was something intrinsically funny about the sight of one boy hoisting the other up by the waist to keep him in place, barely able to keep standing steadily given all the wiggling and kicking. Somehow, when Wen Ruohan had heard about Lan Qiren’s two nephews that he had personally raised, it had never occurred to him that the man might have raised one normal child and one absolute hellion.

“Wangji, behave,” Lan Xichen said, and put his brother down. “You won’t get anywhere with Sect Leader Wen by trying to bite him. He’s a very reasonable person. I’m sure he doesn’t want us to cause a fuss, because then people might come here and think he was the one who brought us here.”

Make that two absolute hellions.

Wen Ruohan’s eyebrows arched involuntarily. “Are you trying to blackmail me?” he asked, deeply amused. And also pleased that he’d bothered to take the time to set up the privacy talisman earlier, because Lan Xichen wasn’t wrong. “I’m certain that’s against your sect rules, little Lan.”

Lan Xichen looked up at him with a set face, stubborn determination in every line of him. “Is that so, Sect Leader Wen? Which one? Please educate this junior.”

Lan Qiren had raised these children?

On second thought, of course he had. Who else could take something so fundamentally uninteresting as children, who were boring, needy, and unpleasant until they’d at least completed adolescence, and create such a fascinatingly unpredictable mix of contrasts, cloaked in seemingly implacable Lan sect righteousness?

And if he could do that with his own children…really, Wen Ruohan had already been eager enough to see Lan Qiren teaching when his sole interest had been in hearing Lan Qiren dominate a classroom, but now he was really crawling out of his skin with anticipation. Perhaps he would even send his own sons to him to see if maybe Lan Qiren could somehow salvage the wrecks their insipid personalities and mothers had made of them – after all, they were Wen, and thus deserved the best. And everyone agreed that Lan Qiren was the best.

“My sect also has a list of sayings by which we are to abide,” he said instead. “All left behind by the founder, my ancestor. Do you know which one applies in this situation?”

They both looked uncertain.

“Neither do I. Because under my rule, they have become obsolete.” Wen Ruohan’s lips curled back into a sneer. “I would recommend against underestimating me.”

The intimidation worked beautifully against Lan Xichen, just as intended: the boy paled and looked as though he were reviewing everything he must have heard about Wen Ruohan in his mind all at once, and pairing that with the fact that Wen Ruohan had his beloved uncle within his grasp.

Lan Wangji, in contrast, scrunched up his face angrily, shouted “Arrogance is forbidden!” and smacked Wen Ruohan right in the knee with his little fist.

And then he burst into tears.

“Oh no,” Lan Xichen said, clearly horrified. He tried to reach out to grab his brother once more, only for Lan Wangji to throw himself on the floor and start hitting it with his fists, still sobbing, but with his mouth pursed as if he were trying desperately not to make too much noise during his temper tantrum.

Causing noise is prohibited, if Wen Ruohan had to bet. Those ridiculous Lan sect rules…

He really did look like a little Lan Qiren.

Wen Ruohan crouched down in front of Lan Wangji, wondering briefly if he should restrain him the way he had ultimately restrained Lan Qiren during his own fit – probably not, since Lan Qiren had commented that in the future he would prefer if Wen Ruohan limited his involvement to merely ensuring that there was nothing breakable in the vicinity and keeping other people away. Likely that was the course of action he would recommend to others as well.

It made Wen Ruohan again wonder if this was what Lan Qiren had looked like as a child, all chubby cheeks, red faced and utterly miserable.

No, he still couldn’t imagine it. Given the poor relationship between Lan Qiren and his brother, which must have started in their childhood, he simply could not imagine Lan Qiren being spoiled and beloved and secure enough in himself to have a fit out in the open in front of strangers. Though perhaps he was being unduly dismissive of Lan Wangji – the boy’s life had been through rather a lot of changes recently, all negative, and he’d already seen the impact of a similar thing on the already adult Lan Qiren. Sometimes meltdowns were simply inevitable.

No matter.

“How often do these fits happen?” he asked Lan Xichen, who was wringing his hands and bouncing up and down on his toes in profound distress.

“More often than they used to,” Lan Xichen replied in what was practically a wail. “He used to have much better self-control. That is, before – before Shufu…Wangji doesn’t like change.”

“Mm. Neither does your uncle.”

Lan Xichen glanced at him sidelong, gnawing on his lower lip. “Earlier…I heard…is my Shufu really your wife?”

“I’m his,” Wen Ruohan corrected, then grinned at the sweet memory of the disaster Lan Qiren had caused earlier by publicly calling him his wife. The cultivation world was never going to get over that one. “Tell me, what was your plan, hiding yourselves here? Why didn’t you try to go find your uncle straight away?”

“We didn’t know if he was going to be at the conference,” Lan Xichen said, looking abashed. “But he’d certainly be in the Nightless City, wouldn’t he?”

“I see. And when you were found in my possession? What were you planning to do then?”

“We wouldn’t be found!” At Wen Ruohan’s doubtful look, Lan Xichen puffed out his cheeks and pouted. “We wouldn’t. We weren’t found until now, were we?”

That was only because no one had properly looked.

Wen Ruohan decided to refrain from commenting. He could wait until a more appropriate moment to ruin the boy’s illusions – or at least until he managed to figure out what he intended to do with them. As he’d already determined earlier, there was no way he could smuggle them out of the Lotus Pier and to the Nightless City himself. Once the two children’s escapade was discovered, he and Lan Qiren would be immediate targets for suspicion. Their baggage would be searched, their retinue investigated, no stone left unturned. There was a limit to how clever even he could be, trying to hide something away when the focus of the entire cultivation world was on him.

And yet the other option was even less appealing: to bring Lan Qiren so close to the children he so longed to see, and yet not letting them see one another. Or worse, letting them see each other and then sending the boys back to the Cloud Recesses, thereby delivering the most powerful card over Lan Qiren into the hands of their father, Wen Ruohan’s rival in power.

No, that was intolerable. The boys had to come with him.

As for how – well, he’d think of something.

He was Wen Ruohan, after all. He always got what he wanted, eventually.

“Are you done?” he asked Lan Wangji, who seemed to have exhausted himself.

“I want to see Shufu,” Lan Wangji replied. Stubborn brat. “I want to see Shufu right now.”

“That can be arranged,” Wen Ruohan said. Both boys lit up, as he’d expected them to. Children were painfully easy to manipulate. “What will you give me in exchange?”

They both stared at him, clearly wondering if he was being serious.

Naturally he was. He would never have bothered if they were just two ordinary children, of course, but these were Lan Qiren’s children.

“Do not take advantage of your position to oppress others,” Lan Xichen finally said.

Cute.

“Do not be wasteful,” Wen Ruohan replied, fighting down the amused curl of his lips. He’d gotten pretty good at irritating Lan Qiren with his own sect rules, these past few months. A few children would be nothing.

“Do not build wealth using others,” Lan Wangji volunteered.

“…do you even have any wealth?” Wen Ruohan wondered, abruptly distracted, and tried not to laugh when Lan Xichen dug a single piece of silver out of his sleeve to proudly show off to him. His own little Chao-er had a monthly allowance of ten times that amount, but then again the Wen sect wasn’t nearly as fond of frugality as the Lan. “Don’t be unreasonable. How about a favor? One each.”

“A…favor?”

“Why not? I’m doing you a favor by bringing you to your shufu, aren’t I? Propriety suggests reciprocity.”

The boys looked at each other, clearly wary and searching for a trap, or at least a way out of the one they were in. That alone made them smarter than any number of sect leaders Wen Ruohan had to deal with on a regular basis, many of whom were blindly self-confident even when knowing the caliber of their enemy. In fact, even Lao Nie would generally agree to just about anything rather than owe Wen Ruohan an open-ended favor without limitation – he knew, as all smart people knew, that Wen Ruohan always remembered what he was owed, and that he was more than willing to wait for just the right moment to call it out, even if it took decades.

He had the time.

But in the end, wary as they might be, these were still only children.

“All right,” Lan Xichen finally said, clearly unable to think of another solution that would satisfy the situation and reluctantly accepting it. “One favor each. But nothing bad!”

Wen Ruohan thought about it, then inclined his head in agreement. Vagueness in a contract was beneficial to both sides, and he could go quite far with the wiggle room ‘nothing bad’ offered him.

Lan Xichen looked relieved. For his part, Lan Wangji looked between the two of them and nodded firmly, signaling his own consent to the arrangement. And then, having apparently decided that Wen Ruohan now qualified as a good adult, he held up his arms and said “Up!” to Wen Ruohan in an imperious tone.

“Not a chance,” Wen Ruohan informed him. These two children might be more tolerable than most, but he wasn’t about to start indulging them. “You have two legs, you can walk. Or ask your brother, if your fit earlier has truly incapacitated you.”

He waved away the privacy barrier and began walking back to the rooms he had been assigned, weaving his way through the many bridges and floating platforms of the Lotus Pier. Presumably Lan Qiren would be back from the ducks by now – though Wen Ruohan supposed he was the one who’d ended up being trailed by ducklings.

He found that he was looking forward to presenting his newest prizes to Lan Qiren.

Lan Qiren’s reaction would be amazing. The other man would undoubtedly be quick to realize the same issues with their presence and disposition as Wen Ruohan had, of course, but he was still a Lan; he would be emotional first, rational second. Seeing his nephews for the first time in months would snap that reserve of his in two like a twig, and Wen Ruohan wouldn’t have to suffer that dull-as-dishwater self-effacing persona that Lan Qiren had adopted as soon as they were in public.

Truly, it had been more irritating than Wen Ruohan had realized it would be, seeing Lan Qiren forcefully stuff all of the interesting things about him – his sharp insight, his fiery temper, his well-concealed ruthlessness – back into the perfect model of the navel-gazing scholar, untouched by mortal filth. That might be appropriate for the Lan sect, but Lan Qiren wasn’t here to represent them. He was here for Qishan Wen, as he himself had admitted. Admitted repeatedly, and in public.

The Wen sect did not hide their talents. They didn’t hide that they were better than everyone else.

It was more than that, though. Lan Qiren’s behavior made it painfully clear that he had been brought up to be a proper second son, always staying one step behind and ready to offer support without eclipsing the first son, not as beloved as his brother and excruciatingly aware of it. Given that he was so obviously superior to his brother in every respect, it grated on Wen Ruohan’s nerves to see him act like that.

But all that was in the past, now. He was better than that now.

Husband or not, Lan Qiren was Madam Wen now. He ought to act like it.

Perhaps Wen Ruohan would suggest that Lan Qiren learn a little from Lan Wangji. Now there was a younger son the way a younger son ought to be: deeply beloved and spoiled rotten, utterly certain that he deserved everything good in the world because his family had always strived to give it to him. He certainly didn’t seem to have any trouble being appropriately demanding, assuming other people’s acquiescence to his will as if it were inevitable.

Yes, this was going to be a great deal of fun. Lan Qiren would have his moment with his nephews, emotional as it would undoubtedly be, and then he would master himself and return to Wen Ruohan’s side so that they could plan out how to manage the fall-out when the boys were inevitably discovered.

Really, it was such a pleasure to have someone smart enough to actually keep up with him.

It was a painful rarity, especially when coupled with loyalty or straightforwardness. Most of the people who were actually smart enough to anticipate Wen Ruohan’s plans were too greedy or presumptuous to be tolerated, and the ones who were matchlessly loyal tended to be too stupid to talk to. Wen Ruohan trusted no one, of course, but doubting Lan Qiren was practically pointless, an exercise in futility…

A small hand tugged at his sleeve.

Wen Ruohan looked down.

“Don’t we need to hide?” Lan Xichen whispered loudly to him. “Anyone could see us!”

“Don’t be absurd,” Wen Ruohan said, shaking him loose. “I would be able to tell if anyone were coming long before they got anywhere near.”

“And then we’d hide?” Lan Xichen asked.

“No,” Lan Wangji replied before Wen Ruohan could say anything. “He’d kill them for seeing us.”

“Wangji. Don’t be ridiculous. He wouldn’t!”

“The rule against killing is only in the Cloud Recesses. So why not?”

“Because it would still be wrong! Also, he wouldn’t be able to get away with it. Not in the middle of a discussion conference.”

Sad but true.

Wen Ruohan wondered if Lan Qiren had deliberately trained Lan Xichen to be more practical, a necessity in a sect leader, while Lan Wangji, as a younger son, had the luxury of being intransigent, or if the two boys’ characters had simply ended up that way by chance.

He really would need to give Lan Qiren a chance to make something out of his Xu-er and Chao-er. They weren’t bad boys, as far as Wen Ruohan could tell, and naturally, as his sons, he was proud of them, but just as obviously he wanted them to be outstanding adults, befitting the dignity of his bloodline. And even he could tell that the present difference between his Chao-er and Lan Xichen, or even Lan Wangji, was quite wide…

“He’d probably just hit them really hard on the head instead,” Lan Xichen concluded. “At most.”

“Mm. That would work.”

Very cute.

There was no point in telling the boys that Wen Ruohan was both so powerful that he could easily sense and avoid anyone coming their way and also a master of arrays, including those that were more than capable of hiding two children. It would be much funnier if he told Lan Qiren later about how they had plotted for him to incapacitate any enemy that came across their path. Lan Qiren would make such a face…

Ah, and just as he thought of him, Wen Ruohan turned a corner and there was the man himself, standing right outside the entrance to their rooms. He was unmistakable in his white-and-red robes and Lan sect forehead ribbon, his back straight and his face turned away from where Wen Ruohan was standing.

He was not alone.

He was talking with a woman – or perhaps more accurately, a woman was talking to him. She was tall for a woman, dressed in clothing of a rogue cultivator with no clan insignia, though there was a horsetail whip tucked into her belt alongside her sword. She moved one of her hands as she spoke, almost as though she were signing what she was saying.

The nails of the hand she was waving around were lacquered a very dark red, and very sharp. Not just the ones for playing guqin, either, but all five. Her other hand –

Her other hand was wrapped around Lan Qiren’s wrist.

And Lan Qiren was letting her.

Wen Ruohan stopped, knowing that the two boys were too small to see as far as he did, and glanced around – ah, there was another set of rooms here. Probably one of his subordinate sects, since no one else would agree to be placed so close to his Qishan Wen. The entryway was locked, but he forced it easily with a palm and held it open for the children.

“Your uncle is not far,” he told them, observing the way their faces both took on a hungry cast, as if they could think of nothing that they longed for more than the sight of Lan Qiren. “But he is not alone. Wait here until you hear me call.”

They went in obediently, although Lan Wangji had to put his clenched fist to his mouth and bite it in order to motivate himself to do so – he clearly wanted more than anything to run straight to his beloved uncle, as if simply being in his presence would cure all previous ills.

Ah, the stupidity of youth. Was I ever that young?

Perhaps once. He’d learned better quickly enough – betrayal had a way of doing that.

He didn’t bother applying another privacy talisman, knowing that the flare of spiritual energy would be enough to draw the attention of other cultivators, particularly one as sharp as Lan Qiren. The children would be fine without it, and if they weren’t…well, that wasn’t really his concern, in the end. What did he care?

They were just Lan Qiren’s nephews, not his.

Moreover, Wen Ruohan wanted to maintain the element of surprise. He wanted to see Lan Qiren’s face when he tried to explain what exactly he was doing, as if he’d completely forgotten that he’d written Do not give your wife reason to doubt your fidelity with his own hand on his own list of personal rules on how to be a good and worthy husband. Rules he was meant to follow.

Had that one been included as a trick? It only said “do not give reason to doubt” – could that be the loophole, that it focused more on Wen Ruohan’s doubt than Lan Qiren’s own fidelity…?

“I am fairly certain that cannot be accurate,” Lan Qiren was saying as Wen Ruohan stalked closer. He sounded somewhere between appalled and resigned, as far as Wen Ruohan could tell; it was sometimes difficult to determine given his general inclination towards monotone. “Why in the world – no, on second thought, please do not explain. I have no desire to hear any more.”

“Don’t give up on learning,” the woman said, her voice surprisingly deep, lively and cheerful. Was this the type Lan Qiren liked? She had a certain wild beauty about her, barely tamed, and even her hair was set in something that was neither the style of a maiden nor that of a married woman, more like that of a man at leisure. She was powerful, much more so than he would have expected of a woman her age. Nowhere near Wen Ruohan’s own strength, but he supposed that meant that at least Lan Qiren’s taste in partners had that much in common. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten your family rules so quickly after marriage. Your memory isn’t supposed to be one of the things you give up when you make your marriage vows – you should pick something less necessary. Like freedom, or blood.”

Wen Ruohan paused. What?

“I…do not think you are supposed to give up your blood,” Lan Qiren said slowly, although he was oddly hesitant. Possibly he was simply wary of upsetting an obviously crazy person. “Or that such a thing is – possible.”

“You’ve been talking with the wrong people, then,” the woman said, brisk but cheerful. “Or thinking too narrowly, which you have a bad tendency to do. You and all the other Lan, always thinking straight! You should look around more – to look down more. Being in the Wen sect will be good for you. It’ll broaden your horizons.”

Then she giggled.

“Get it?” she said. “Horizons?”

Lan Qiren was visibly staring at her. Maybe she really was crazy. Maybe she’d been the one to grab onto him, and he’d only refused to shake her off because he feared what she might do.

“…no,” he said. “I do not ‘get it’. At all.”

“I think it’s especially apt now that you’re married! If there’s one thing I’ve found about getting married, it’s that it means you spend a lot more time being horizontal – ”

“Cangse Sanren!” Lan Qiren shouted, having clearly ‘gotten it’ this time.

Wen Ruohan’s eyebrows arched up immediately. He knew that name: Cangse Sanren was the immortal Baoshan Sanren’s disciple, who had descended from the celestial mountain. It would certainly explain how powerful she was, the spiritual energy coiled within her and glowing with strength.

Wen Ruohan had seen her once before, shortly after her descent from the immortal’s mountain. He’d been as curious as the rest of them, possibly more so given his own personal quest for immortality, but he hadn’t managed to make many inroads – she’d been quite fiercely protected by Jiang Fengmian at the time, the young man nominating himself to act as her escort and guardian as she traveled through the cultivation world to visit various sects. He’d been right to be so protective, of course, since at the time, it seemed as though half the world had been in love with her. It was no wonder Wen Ruohan hadn’t recognized her; it had been quite a few years since then, and she was no longer the young girl she had once been. He’d heard that she’d become a rogue cultivator after marrying Jiang Fengmian’s servant rather than the man himself – perhaps that was why she was here to visit him during the discussion conference, when the publicity would help quell the inevitability of gossip, rather than in private.

If Wen Ruohan recalled correctly, Lan Qiren had been acquainted with her back in their youth as well; they were of an age with each other, and would have been peers. She had spent a summer in the Cloud Recesses. In fact, from what Wen Ruohan had heard, while Lan Qiren had not been one of the many suitors that had proposed marriage to her, he was said to have liked her a great deal…

Wen Ruohan’s anger, which had been temporarily dampened by confusion, rekindled.

“I suspect the joke may relate to me,” he said as he came up to them, voice intentionally chilly, reflecting his displeasure. Oddly enough, Lan Qiren didn’t jump or try to hide away from him, which meant that he was either a better actor than Wen Ruohan had assumed or perhaps that he genuinely possessed no feelings of guilt. “The midday sun faces no horizon and looks down upon all the earth.”

“That’s the one,” Cangse Sanren said agreeably. She didn’t seem bothered by his presence either, and rudely pointed to him with those sharp red nails of hers – though interestingly now that he was close by, he couldn’t smell any lacquer or powdered herbs on them. Surely they weren’t that color naturally…? “That’s the joke. But also the Wen sect are all a bunch of arrogant – ”

“Cangse Sanren,” Lan Qiren hissed. “Do not use vulgar language!”

“I was going to say surgeons!” Cangse Sanren turned to look at Wen Ruohan, fixing him with an unexpected glare. “You’ve got medical skills, don’t you? You took long enough to get here. Fix him.”

She nodded at Lan Qiren.

Wen Ruohan frowned and turned to follow her gaze to Lan Qiren – who looked awful, now that he was actually looking at him. His lips were thin, pressed tight from tension, and all the skin of his face unusually pale, his lips unusually red. There was a smear of blood at the corner of his mouth that hadn’t been wiped off properly, and a matching stain on his sleeve.

He’d been coughing up blood.

“Didn’t you go to feed ducks?” Wen Ruohan asked, the chill that had filled him abruptly melting away in the heat of his irritation. He grabbed Lan Qiren’s other wrist to check his pulse – weak, miserable, distressed – and immediately started transferring over spiritual energy to stabilize him. As Cangse Sanren had been doing through his other wrist, he could now see. “How did you manage to get into a state like this? Did a particularly violent goose break one of your sect rules?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Lan Qiren said, equally irritated. Wen Ruohan was pleased to note that he immediately shook off Cangse Sanren’s hand as soon as he was in possession of superior assistance. “It seems that I am too regular with my habits. My brother was waiting for me there.”

Wen Ruohan’s eyes narrowed.

He’d known, of course, that Qingheng-jun wouldn’t take well to seeing Lan Qiren well and whole and intact – that had been part of the fun he’d been expected – but he hadn’t anticipated that the man would actually take action against Lan Qiren. He knew he hated him, of course, he’d based his entire strategy in making the marriage offer to Qingheng-jun on that fact. But even putting aside the taboo of injuring your own blood kin, surely the man didn’t hate his own brother enough to waste the benefits he’d managed to use Lan Qiren to obtain for his sect, and certainly particularly not before he’d actually had the chance to seize them…? After all, Qingheng-jun was a sect leader, however long he had lapsed in the position, and for a sect leader, the sect always came first.

But if, despite all that, Qingheng-jun had still raised his hand against someone wearing Wen Ruohan's colors –

"He didn't do anything to me," Lan Qiren added sourly, presumably picking up on Wen Ruohan's murderous expression. "I did it to myself."

"To yourself?" Cangse Sanren echoed. She sounded suitably skeptical. "How, exactly? Walked into a post hard enough to cause internal injuries, did you?"

"I really did walk into a post that time," Lan Qiren informed her, confirming Wen Ruohan’s sudden seething suspicion that it had been a reference to some shared past event. "But no. Nothing so crude. He baited me with words, not even objectionable words, and I fell for it. I allowed him to get to me to such a point that I grew unbearably angry – to the point that I nearly died of rage like…like some sort of Nie!"

Wen Ruohan choked. That might be the rudest thing he’d ever heard Lan Qiren say, scornful and definitely violating the rules against sneering and contempt.

(Wen Ruohan was such a bad influence on Lan Qiren. He gloried in it.)

“I don’t think we can go that far,” Cangse Sanren said, unmoved. Presumably she didn’t realize what a momentous event Lan Qiren coming anywhere near the vicinity of a pejorative was. “I’m no doctor, I’ve got no medical skills, but I’m pretty sure your current state can’t be diagnosed as ‘dying’.”

Lan Qiren glanced warily at Wen Ruohan.

“It’s not,” Wen Ruohan confirmed with a scoff. “You’re hardier than you think you are.”

It was that pure and shining golden core of his again, keeping him stable and helping him swiftly recover his equilibrium. Absent some truly tremendous trauma, some deeply intimate betrayal, Lan Qiren would be a hard man to break.

“See?” Cangse Sanren said haughtily. “Nothing but exaggeration. You’re worse than my son, and he’ll complain just to hear the sound of his own voice.”

“I recall hearing that you have a son,” Lan Qiren said. “Around the same age as my younger nephew, I believe? I never had the chance to offer you and Wei Changze my congratulations.”

Wen Ruohan glanced at him, wondering if that was sarcasm or jealousy, but he seemed genuine.

“My news is old news,” Cangse Sanren said dismissively, waving a hand. “Yours, on the other hand, is far more interesting. Why are you wearing Qishan Wen’s suns?”

“Yes, Lan Qiren,” Wen Ruohan drawled. “Why don’t you introduce us?”

Lan Qiren blanched, clearly realizing how rude he’d been. For her part, Cangse Sanren laughed at him and made a gesture that appeared to be mimicking stroking a fake beard, intoning, “No improper behavior” in a deliberately exaggerated manner.

“Sect Leader Wen, Cangse Sanren, disciple of the immortal Baoshan Sanren,” Lan Qiren said stiffly, not paying her any attention. It was near enough to his usual behavior that it was hard to tell whether he felt anything more for her than others, but then it would, wouldn’t it? “Cangse Sanren, Qishan Wen sect’s Sect Leader Wen, Wen Ruohan. We were married a few months ago.”

“You got married? To him?” Cangse Sanren grinned widely, showing off some rather sharp tiger teeth. “Wow, Qiren-gege, who would’ve thought you’d like – ”

“If you insult my wife, this conversation is over,” Lan Qiren snapped, causing both Cangse Sanren and Wen Ruohan’s eyebrows to jump up in surprise.

“I wasn’t going to,” she said primly, obviously lying, but then she smirked. “Is that why you were asking about a wife’s duties?”

“No!” Lan Qiren exclaimed, abruptly flushing red. That was good, it meant he had enough blood to spare for his face now. “I was merely – a suggestion had been raised earlier, and I found myself unprepared – I mean, I know they manage the household, but – and – I was only making conversation! And it’s not as if you had anything useful to say, anyway!”

Wen Ruohan felt his lips twisting involuntarily up in amusement as Cangse Sanren outright guffawed.

“Of course what I said wasn’t useful,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You were coughing up blood. I would have said anything that kept you talking, or else otherwise I’d be worried that you’d faint.”

Lan Qiren spluttered, but Wen Ruohan was already nodding in approval. Judging the moment right, given Lan Qiren’s improved appearance, he took the opportunity to stop transferring energy, though he kept his fingers curled loosely around Lan Qiren’s wrist.

Perhaps he really had misjudged the situation between the two of them, he reflected, his mood vastly improved for whatever reason. Lan Qiren was precisely the sort of tactless person that would on first meeting ask an old acquaintance for advice on his personal life, provided that he perceived them to be a potential expert on the subject, and for her part Cangse Sanren seemed a practical sort of person, familiar enough with basic first aid to realize that the damage would have been worse if Lan Qiren had lost consciousness or kept stewing.

“What did your brother say to you to get such a result?” he asked. Not that he couldn’t guess, but he wanted to see a little of the rage that Qingheng-jun had inspired.

Sure enough, Lan Qiren’s face soured, his lips pressing together once more and his eyes narrowing. “Nothing that anyone could object to,” he said. “He updated me about – about my nephews.”

Wen Ruohan nodded, feeling his own smirk start to grow. He noticed Cangse Sanren’s eyes flickering between them, frowning, but he ignored her. This was going to be fun.

“There is no point in dwelling on it,” Lan Qiren said, clearly trying to convince himself more than anyone else. “There is nothing I can do about it, far away as I now am. And after all, they are his sons.”

The way he said it sounded not unlike a man stabbing a knife repeatedly into his own chest.

“On that subject,” Wen Ruohan began, figuring now would be the best time to strike, “regarding your nephews – ”

Sadly, he never had the chance to finish his sentence: it seemed that he had delayed too long, outlasting childish patience. A small quavering voice interrupted him, shouting, “Shufu!”

Lan Qiren nearly jumped out of his own skin, then twisted around, gaping as two small bundles of white hurried down the floating walkway towards him. “Wangji…? Wangji! Xichen!”

He fell to his knees with an almost audible crack, holding out his arms, and the two boys rushed into them, both children sobbing so hard that they seemed scarcely able to breathe, let alone talk.

Emotional, just as Wen Ruohan predicted.

It was a pity that they’d come out so early, Wen Ruohan thought to himself, since he probably could have extracted some fun concessions from Lan Qiren before revealing them. Still, he didn’t mind it as much as he might have otherwise. Lan Qiren would know that it was his doing regardless, and he would find a way to make it up to him. He was good for that, dependable.

“You seem improved from when I last laid eyes on you, Sect Leader Wen,” Cangse Sanren commented, crossing to his side of the walkway and idly pulling herself up to perch on the railing like some sort of monkey or bird. “Less maliciously destructive, which I assume means less bored. Could it be that married life suits you?”

“My wives would likely dispute that claim,” Wen Ruohan said dryly. “At present I have two which preceded him, and neither reported any such improvement.”

“Ah, but now you have Lan Qiren. That’s different!” She grinned and tapped the side of her nose knowingly. “They say one mountain can’t hold two tigers, but that doesn’t apply if they’re one family. Put a tiger in a cage with nothing to do, they’ll destroy everything and then themselves…sometimes you need two.”

Wen Ruohan shrugged, not disagreeing. Lan Qiren was certainly far more tiger than either of his wives had ever been – and he himself was indeed a great deal less bored.

“It’s good, though,” Cangse Sanren chattered. “I haven’t spent any serious time with Lan Qiren since I was sixteen, and I’ve been meaning to make that up…anyway, it means I can stop avoiding the Nightless City, and just in time. I was going to go over to Xixiang to check out the rumors about that old mine, but after that, my little A-Ying has been begging me to take him somewhere new.”

“Naturally he has, if he hasn’t been to my Nightless City,” Wen Ruohan said, practically on automatic. “You will find nowhere finer in the cultivation world…”

He paused, the idea coming to him in a beautiful burst of light. No one ever paid attention to rogue cultivators, who came and went wherever they willed – and Baoshan Sanren’s wild disciple more than most.

“Cangse Sanren,” he said, and she turned to look at him, a questioning expression on her face. “Your son is about the same age as Lan Qiren’s youngest nephew, is he not?”

At her nod, he smiled with teeth.

“I think it is an excellent idea for you to bring him to visit my Nightless City once you are done with your next night-hunt,” he said. “And, perhaps, you could see your way to also bringing along a few small traveling companions…?”

Cangse Sanren’s eyes followed Wen Ruohan’s to look at the two young Lan boys, talking excitedly with Lan Qiren, all three of them smiling with faces wet with tears.

Her answering smile had just as many teeth as his.

#mdzs #lan qiren #wen ruohan #lan xichen #lan wangji #my fic #my fics #Megafic

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leafkingofbirds · 1 month

Text

Next chapter Preview: Eclipse Edition!

In honor of the total solar eclipse today, have this snippet I just finished writing! 😄

**this is still a first draft and you may find typos. But I am open to feedback & suggestions! 🥰

***

Somehow, Kieran winds up at the base of Sir Monty’s favorite tree. On his knees, his heart pounding, staring blankly at the dirt but seeing nothing. Too lost in his own mind and the troubles of his soul.

Give me peace, he begs whatever unseen force rules over life and death. Give me clarity. I must be everything Ella needs me to be.

But there is no divine intervention. Only himself, alone. As it has always been, since the death of his mother.

He would have sought his mother's grave, but the royal mausoleum is buried beneath the rubble of the destroyed Full Moon Chamber.

Instead he has come to Sir Monty’s. The last parental figure he would ever have.

His oldest friend is gone to the tyrant’s side. Whether Oleander has betrayed Kieran or has some plan up their sleeve doesn’t matter. Oleander isn’t here to give any of their sage advice.

Dear Longclaw has her own heavy grief. Even her big heart is weighed down with the loss of not only the last of her beloved family – as abhorrent as Radiance was – but the loss of her own sense of self. It wouldn’t be fair to ask for her help, even if she was currently capable of giving it.

Ella would try to be there for him. But to go to her would be worse than dealing with it alone. Her heartless state is but more evidence of his failure and his guilt.

“Mother,” Kieran gasps aloud without meaning to. A deep-set plea to a woman he had not set eyes upon since he was almost too young to remember and who will never answer his cries again.

The word only opens the wound inside him, digging deeper, ripping open old wounds until they bled anew. His mother is the reason for all of this. Jack is the reason.

As if called by Kieran's very thoughts, he hears soft footsteps in the grass cautiously approach behind him.

“So this is where you ran off to,” Jack muses. His voice is subdued. A hush has fallen over the entire place in the wake of the battle, an aura of death and defeat.

“Leave me,” Kieran growls without turning around.

Instead, the footsteps only come closer. To Kieran's shock and irritation, Jack kneels before the small square of stone at the base of the old, broken oak.

A stone marker had been installed at the base of the tree. Oleander had quietly decided upon the wordering and installed it themselves, after Kieran had irritably snapped at them “I don’t give a damn; do it yourself!”

It was not enough to describe all that Sir Montgomery was in life, but then, no headstone would ever be able to capture the entirety of a man’s soul.

Here Rests the Most Honorable

Sir Montgomery Snow

Who Gave His Mortal Life

In Service to the Moon Court

For a long moment, Jack gazes at the headstone in silence, his expression intense and unreadable. He looks almost angry.

Kieran braces himself to hear Jack say something vicious, and knows he won't be able to hold himself back this time if Jack speaks disrespectfully about Sir Monty before his very grave.

Then, Jack sighs deeply, hands on his thighs, and hangs his head. Kieran peers at him curiously.

“We have both suffered the loss of the most important people in our lives,” Jack says finally. He glances up at Kieran ruefully, his expression for once vulnerable and sincere. “Haven't we?”

Kieran can only glare at him.

Jack looks back toward Monty’s headstone. “I want to say I regret what I've taken from you. But the truth is, if I had not killed Monty, he would have killed me. And I can't apologize for not allowing that to happen. Not honestly. Because I was not just fighting this battle for myself, and I owed it to those people in there that I would let nothing and no one stand in my way. No matter how noble.”

There's a silence where Kieran considers leaping at him at closing his hands over Jack’s throat. But there isn't enough energy in him now. What would be the point?

“But I regret the pain I have caused,” Jack says, in a way that makes Kieran think he's never apologized before in his life and it's physically painful for him. “I know that's foolish. I can't wish the past undone and know I would have changed nothing, all at the same time.”

“You wish it hadn't come to this,” Kieran manages to say, surprised at how rough his voice sounds, how close to tears. He can't even look at Jack.

“Yes.”

Kieran scoffs. “So do I.”

Not that it mattered what any of them wished. Wishes are futile things, even for Fae.

“Nothing I can say will undo the damage I've done. Believe me, I'm well aware,” Jack says bitterly. “But I want to say this anyway: I was wrong about you. I was wrong about so many things that it makes my blood boil to look back on it. About Sir Montgomery and Eisa. About the right way to fight for equality in this realm.”

“You were wrong about Ella,” Kieran reminds him snappishly.

Jack has the gall to look surprised. Then embarrassed. “I…yes.”

Kieran raises his brow expectantly, demanding a better answer than that.

Jack sighs explosively and runs a hand through his hair. “I thought her addled at best, foolishly naive at worst. I thought you were like every other Fae I had ever had the misfortune of meeting, who had dazzled and enthralled an unwitting human into doing your bidding. But…you truly love her, don’t you?”

“With all that I am.” Kieran feels his hands clench into fists. “Ella has the most pure and genuine heart for others I’ve ever known a mortal to have. And a stubborn, inner strength that has never ceased to impress me. She is braver than any Fae I have ever met. That you misjudged her angers me even more than being misjudged. And that she is in my palace right now, heartless, where she should have been safe, angers me more than anything else.”

“You feel like you failed her.” It’s a statement, not a question. Jack gazes at him evenly.

“I did fail her,” Kieran snaps. “She felt she had no choice but to use the Immortality Curse, because this realm is so dangerous for mortals. I didn’t do enough to ensure she felt safe among Fae. I wasn’t able to break her curse, despite my promise that my love would be strong enough to save her. And yes, I ignored the threat of your Eclipse and the suffering you endured, as generations of Moon Court heirs have done before me. I own that mistake as wholly mine. But, Jack - it was your arrogance and prejudice didn’t want to believe Fae lives were in any way worth sparing. You came to kill us without knowing us. Without giving us even a chance.”

Jack’s brow wrinkles. “To be fair, that is exactly how mortals have been treated by Fae for the entirety of history.”

“Doesn’t make it right.”

Jack looks contrite. “No. It doesn’t.”

“I'm glad we can agree on something,” Kieran mutters.

“Perhaps that's why I was too late to save my father,” Jack muses quietly, as if to himself. “His innocent life, spent in payment for my sins. I live now only because you demand it, Kieran - else I would fall on that damned sword as penance. And I will do what I can to help fix this. But some things I can't fix. And for that…I truly am sorry.”

Kieran's eyes fill with tears, hot and angry. He can feel Jack’s gaze on him, and doesn't meet it. His emotions war in such a furious swirling tempest he can't keep track of any of them - he doesn't even try to name them.

What strikes him, though, is how much of Jack's words mirror Kieran's own internal guilt.

An innocent life paid the price of my arrogance.

I would fall on my sword for my failure.

Some things I can't fix.

Kieran senses himself at a fork in the road. He can do what his old self would have done - the bitter, broken, cold version that used viciousness to isolate himself and wallowed in his own misery - and rebuff Jack’s attempt to repent. Jack would live, but they would be forever strangers. Forever estranged.

Or he can be the man Ella always believed him to be. The man Kieran strives to live up to.

Kieran lets out a long sigh. “I can’t forgive you, Jack. Not yet. But I accept your apology. I believe it’s sincerely offered.”

“If nothing else, know that I am a man who means what he says.” Jack’s level gaze doesn’t waver. He shows no sign of discomfort from kneeling so long in the dirt, even though the gashes Kieran had delt to his flank are barely scabbed over. Up close, Kieran can see the disciplined way Jack holds himself. The quiet confidence of a true warrior. This has been his life's sole purpose, and Kieran realizes, just now, how broken Jack must also feel.

“We are two of a kind that way,” Kieran answers quietly.

Jack huffs a short laugh, then grows serious again. “Kieran…for what it’s worth? I’m sorry for what happened to Ella. I hope, one day, she will be restored. And on that day, I will ask her forgiveness as well.” Jack climbs to his feet and idly brushes off his knees. “I think my chances will be better if I wait until then.”

The harsh bark of a laugh that escapes Kieran's throat just then doesn't slow Jack's steps, and soon Kieran is alone again beneath this silent, doomed tree.

His laugh turns into a sob.

His hands claw the grass and hard-packed earth as if he could tear it away. Rip open the grave beneath his feet and demand it all to be different, for fate to change according to his will, for the chance to go back in time and undo his mistakes, to unravel all the terrible things that have happened.

But he’s powerless now, and his hands can no more open a hole to bury himself than they could bring back the dead.

Kieran puts his forehead to the earth in defeat, and lets himself weep like he has not done in a hundred years.

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thatravenpuffgirl · 1 year

Text

Susan Bones

Canon:

She was born around 1980

She's a Half-Blood. This means that either her father was a Pureblood (since her last name comes from his side) and her mother was a Half-Blood, or her mother was a pureblood and her father a half-blood, or both of them were half-bloods already.

Her wizarding family were rather powerful and respected during the First Wizarding War, but because of this most of her family were murdered by Death Eaters in the aftermath.

We don't know if her parents were murdered during this time, but the only relevant family of the Bones that is canon is Amelia Bones, Susan's aunt, but she was killed in July 1996

She was a Hufflepuff, in the same year as the golden trio.

She seemed to be friends with Seamus Finnigan and Hermione Granger, as Hermione and Susan were paired together for Herbology and DADA in their second year and both had a crush on Professor Lockhart during that time, although it's unknown if they were friends after that. She's also seen talking with Seamus during classes and DA meetings.

We do know she was good friends with the Hufflepufss in her year, Hannah Abbott, Ernie Macmillan, and Justin Flinch-Fletchley, all of who were also members of the DA. It's unknown if she was friends with Zacharias Smith, another Hufflepuff in her year, even though he did attend DA meetings.

In her sixth year, she splinched herself while attending Aparating classes, losing one of her legs, although it was later reattached.

She was a member of the DA Army, but it isn't known if she was present during the Battle of Hogwarts, although it is most likely since she did attend Hogwarts for her seventh year at that time.

It is also not confirmed in canon whether she survived the second wizarding war, although it is most likely since her name wasn't listed among the deceased.

We also don't know what she did in the aftermath of the war

My Headcanons and Fancast for her (some of these are info about the bones family as well):

Eleanor Columbus as young Susan Bones:

Alice Englert as older Susan Bones:

She was born on October 22nd, 1979

Her Patronus is a Beagle

Her wand is made from Willow wood with a Unicorn core, 10 inches long, and swishy.

Her star sign is Libra

She's a half-blood

Her parents were Oscar Bones (Half-blood) and Eleanor Bones (Pure-blood).

Her grandparents were Alfred (Pure-blood) and Dorthory (Muggle-born), and the parents of Oscar, Amelia and Edgar Bones. Edgar was the oldest, Amelia was the middle child, and Oscar was the youngest.

Her grandparents were nicknamed Alfie and Dottie

Since she was raised by muggles, Susan's grandmother grew up reading muggle literature, which she absolutely adored. She was the one to come up with the names for her two sons, who were named after Edgar Poe and Oscar Wilde, both muggle English poets

Her uncle, Edgar, had three kids with his wife, Edith (Pure-blood) Chester Bones (eldest) and two daughters, Theodora and Mabel, who all died in the war in 1981, shortly before Voldemort was finally defeated.

Edgar and Edith were both around 33 when they died, their son Chester was around 12, and Theodora and Mabel were around 10 and 8 respectively.

Her parents were murdered by Voldemort shortly after her 1st birthday in 1980, a year before the war ended. They were both around 24 years old.

Her aunt, Amelia Bones, one of the few surviving members of the Bones family, took Susan in just after Susan's parents' death and raised her as her own, she was about 28 at the time.

Susan would call Amelia aunty mum.

Although Amelia was quite busy with her Ministry work, she did try to spend as much time with Susan as possible.

Susan had lived in Godric's Hollow with her parents, along with her uncle Edgar, Aunt Edith and her cousins, although once Amelia became her guardian, she moved to Wimbourne. Her uncle and aunty stayed, as Edgar was working alongside the Order of the Phoenix and James and Lily Potter, fellow members, lived there as well, albeit secretly, and Edgar thought he should look out for the Potters.

The Abbot family also lived in Godric's Hollow and were close with the Bones family. They stayed at Godric's Hollow until Edgar and Edith Bones' deaths, and then they moved to Wimbourne to be with Amelia and Susan Bones.

Hannah Abbott and Susan would grow up together, and their two families would make the trip to King's Cross Station to see the girls leave for each of their years at Hogwarts.

Susan and Hannah were both obviously sorted into Hufflepuff.

Susan wasn't one to actually play quidditch, but she rooted for the Wimbourne Wasps.

She loved Herbology and the History of Magic, and eventually the extra-curricular subjects, Muggle Art and Wizarding Art.

You'd just constantly find her in the greenhouses working on her plants or sketching, drawing and painting. or pouring over history books from the library.

Susan and Hannah would become good friends with Ernie Macmillian and Justin Finch-Fletchley.

They were basically known as the Hufflepuff Four.

She developed a crush on Ernie in her second year

She was good friends with a few Gryffindors in her year, like Hermione Granger, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan.

Dean was quite talented in art, although he didn't tell many people, and Susan was one of the few he'd show his artwork to.

Hermione and Susan would meet officially on the Hogwarts Express at the start of the second year, and the two loved discussing the book, History of Magic, both of them having read it thoroughly.

They were also paired in Herbology, DADA, and History of Magic, and you'd often see them giggling together.

Susan was the one to make Hermione open up very easily early on, which she wouldn't do around even her other close friends, Ron and Harry, until much later.

Susan was upset when Hermione was petrified during the second year, along with Justin.

She'd visit the Hospital Wing constantly, and took notes for classes for both Hermione and Justin.

Although they weren't necessarily close, Susan was an acquaintance of Harry through Hermione and was one of the few who didn't think that he was behind the attacks in the second year, and would tell Hannah and Ernie off when they were convinced he was.

And Susan was friends with Seamus through Dean and would confide in him about things, especially since his mother was also working at the ministry. Although, they'd get into a disagreement when Seamus didn't believe the trio about Voldemort.

During the third year, she'd pick Wizard and Muggle art, Muggle Studies and Music as her extra-curricular classes.

Hermione and she were in the same Muggle studies class, and they'd often study together, and discuss recommendations for muggle books and music.

She loved music class as well and played the harp.

Susan would be concerned for Hermione because she was aware Hermione was using the time-turner to take so many classes. Although, she did enjoy the story of Hermione punching Malfoy, and thought it was a good thing Hermione was letting loose.

Before the beginning of the fourth year, Susan's Auntie would get free tickets to the Quidditch World Cup because of her position in the ministry, and Susan would go along with Ernie, Justin and Hannah. She'd also run into a few of other her friends there, including Hermione, Seamus and Dean.

Although she was excited when Cedric was picked as Hogwarts Champion and thought that Harry should not have been allowed to enter the tournament, she didn't believe that Harry put his name in the goblet of fire. She supported both Harry & Cedric, and refused to participate in picking sides, unlike Ernie and Hannah. Justin was the same, as he learnt his lesson from 2nd year, realising that he shouldn't have judged without all the facts.

Susan stood by Hermione and didn't believe the rumours Rita Skeeter was making up about her. Susan was the only one who knew that Fred Weasley was Hermione's first kiss and not Victor Krum and that Hermione only viewed Krum as a friend.

Susan went to the Yule Ball with Zacharias Smith, mostly as friends though.

She was over the moon when she found out that Hermione and Fred were dating

Susan was saddened by Cedric's death. Although she was afraid, she did believe that Voldemort was back.

In her fifth year, she was upset when Ernie (who she still had a crush on) started dating Leanne, a Hufflepuff and friend of Katie Bell after they both joined the Hufflepuff Quidditch team to honour Cedric (who they had admired greatly) as a keeper and chaser respectively.

However, she started dating Zacharias Smith that same year. Zacharias was a Chaser on the Hufflepuff Team as well.

And Susan would read up on quidditch to support both her boyfriend and friend

Justin and she were also definitely the conspirators behind getting Neville Longbottom and Hannah together when they started noticing the two hanging out together a lot more.

Suan had previously been friends with Neville for a while, as they had been paired together for Herbology the year prior, but thought Hannah would be a good match for him.

She'd also joined Dumbledore's Army that year, and enjoyed the lessons., Susan was the one to convince her 4 Hufflepuff friends (Ernie, Zacharias, Hannah and Justin) to join.

However, this caused issues between Zacharias and her, the former being continuously sceptical of harry, Hermione and ron, and the return of Voldemort, whereas Susan believed it was true, and didn't like the comments her boyfriend would make towards her friends. After about 6 months of dating, the pair would split.

Note: Part 2 coming soon!

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