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acourtofmenandthirst · 1 year

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Then Go (Part II of II)

Cassian x Reader, in which Cassian leaves the Night Court to be with you. I don't think you guys are expecting this ending lol but it was pretty fun to write, not reflective of my thoughts on Tamlin's redemption arc ;) @azsazz came up with the ending (surprise surprise lol)

Part I here!

Word Count: 5.8K

Warnings: fighting (forgive the fight scene ok I hate those), character death

The flight back to Spring was tense.

You and Cassian had only ever had a few arguments over the past couple years - petty squabbles, pointless arguments, superficial bickering - the two of you never had anything to truly fight about. Not that you were fighting, really, but he hadn’t spoken more than six sentences - fragments - in the past few hours.

Even when you two had been at odds, Cassian never shied away; in fact, the male became even more vocal, if that was even possible, always voicing his thoughts and opinions, quipping at you with smartass remarks or snarky comments.

But he hadn’t been speaking; it was… new to you. He came back to his bedchamber utterly beat. And you felt bad, deciding while he was gone talking to Rhys that you’d still pretend you were mad when he came back, sitting back against the headboard with your arms crossed over your chest, just as he left you - you’d let him make it up to you, make you forget all about his friends’ behavior. It was selfish of you, you realized, but Cassian would have been all too eager.

Despite the minimal experience you’d had living with the mating bond, you knew immediately that something was wrong. Normally you felt butterflies through the bond, a fluttering beat, the warm compassion your mate sent you. You’d felt it gone cold, empty while he trained in the war camps, too afraid that it would be a distraction that could cost him his life, or that others could find out and use it against him - or you.

You’d never been in a fight, never served in the war - not like he had, protecting his friends, family, even mere strangers. You didn’t bear scars - not in the way he did, marking up each limb, mangled gashes that lingered over his neck and face, adorned every inch of his wings. He was a male that sacrificed far more than you ever thought possible, and had been on the brink of death too many times to count (too many times than you felt comfortable with, honestly).

But the pain you’d felt that evening in the Night Court - it was the closest thing you could imagine to that pain, to the pain of being torn apart and your corpse cast aside. You felt your heart breaking, the string pulling so hard you thought you might throw up right on the bed.

He needed help.

You couldn’t even clamber to your feet fast enough as he appeared in the doorway, silent - so quiet that even the spymaster himself would have been proud. Barely any words were spoken, just a hauntingly sad glance exchanged between the two of you. It would have been better off if he hadn’t said anything at all. His voice sliced through the air, despite how quiet his words were. His voice was gruff, throat horse - not like the groggy Cassian, tired and not ready to wake up, it wasn’t the sad Cassian, voice cracking and strained. It must have been anger, the irate side of the male you had yet to see up close. “Let’s go.”

It was all he said, tone clipped and terse, that sent chills down your spine - and through the bond.

You were quick to scramble to your feet, almost afraid to approach the male in his livid state. He appeared calm, arms stiff at his sides, but seething, chest rising and falling steadily, forced. Cassian was seeing red; he himself didn’t even know he had that amount of self restraint.

And you’d felt bad - he’d wanted to introduce you to his friends - his family - since virtually the first day you met.

So you weren’t fighting, but you felt guilty for letting him take you to Night. It was a fear you didn’t share with the male - not fully really.

“What if they don’t like me?” What if they don’t like where I come from?

Cassian brushed a loose strand of hair behind your ear. “They’ll love you as I do, (Y/N).” His voice was nothing above a whisper, no hesitation, no doubt, no fear behind his reply.

You had a feeling they wouldn’t approve of your Spring heritage - hell, the prejudice of the Night Court Fae ran high in Spring, too. Many of the goers in your own home court didn’t like the fact an Illyrian soldier lingered in their court - you surely figured the Night Court would feel the same about you. It didn’t matter to any of them - Spring or Night - that the two of you were fated mates. He hadn’t cared about those strangers in Spring who passed him on the street - but you didn’t have an Inner Circle like his: friends and family that would protect him at any cost, even if that meant leaving his mate.

Cassian chose you, though. Despite the faux protection Rhysand and Feyre offered him - they left him with the sour options. They were prepared for him to leave, they knew he would; otherwise, they wouldn’t have given him the choice.

And you didn’t dare say those words, the ones you knew Cassian was waiting for you to utter: I told you so.

That would hurt too much.

You didn’t want to be right. Never in any world would you have wished this pain on your mate - the same pain he’d gone through however many years ago when his mother died, when he was teased endlessly in the camps about being a bastard.

And hundreds of years later, he found himself in the same position: outcast, ostracized by his so-called family.

The only thing that kept him sane was you - clinging to him for dear life as he raced through the courts back to Spring. You didn’t question him, but he knew you quietly understood what had happened between him and the High Lord and High Lady of his home court. He felt your panic through the bond once he’d left that conversation, answering the royalty of the court by turning on his heel and leaving.

Nobody had tried to stop him, either.

Rhys and Feyre did not protest as the male made his way from the room. Not a peep from Morrigan or the other Archeron sisters, who were no doubt listening from the doorway. Cassian felt Lucien lingering, though, Cassian supposed he would be the one male who understood. Amren was nowhere to be seen, Azriel missing as well.

But a shadow swirled around Cassian’s ankle as he ascended the stairs back to his bedroom, a silent promise from his brother that he’d be visiting soon.

Cassian had often been jealous of both of his brothers’ winnowing abilities - he hadn’t felt that way since he was a young male. But he had wished for nothing more in that moment, so he didn’t have to tread down the long halls with his tail tucked between his legs, a hound kicked out of his home.

He landed not-so-gracefully at your front door, knees buckling as he staggered forward, trying his damndest to protect you from the force of impact. The dirt from the street kicked up around you, the dark muck swirling around you - Cassian wished it’d swallow him whole.

He didn’t know what to do. His younger self wanted to fly off without a trace, far north of Windhaven or the other Illyrian camps, punishing himself in the cold. He’d pick a fight with the largest tree he could find, punching the thick bark until his knuckles bled and his fingers broke. He’d fly low and fast, so close to the icy river that flecks of freezing water pricked his skin as the waves crashed through the ice shards below him.

But you were there in his arms, limbs wrapped tightly around him, probably afraid he’d drop you. He flew so fast - he wasn’t sure he’d ever gone that fast while carrying another Fae in his arms, especially not one with such little flying experience. Your face was pressed tightly against his neck, your nose was cold from the windchill that graced the both of you.

Cassian stood there, frozen, right in the middle of the village. He didn’t move - he didn’t know how to move; didn’t know where he should go, what he should do. It wasn’t until you pressed your lips against the frigid skin of his neck that he snapped out of his trance, clutching at you harder, fingers grasping the thick material of your dress. He lowered his head and pressed his lips to the crown of your head.

Hundreds of years of friendship, thousands of battles fought together, millions of fights picked with each other. All traded in for a female he knew for almost just a decade.

A decade he’d spent the better part of keeping you a secret from his family.

Perhaps on some level he expected this, knew how they would treat you.

Not that he doubted you - he hadn’t questioned your love for him, your dedication, your willingness to do the same for him. He didn’t question or curse the Mother, not when she gave him a lovely Spring female.

Gods, he just felt so weird.

Starting from scratch again.

____________________________________

Cassian had to find something to busy himself with.

He no longer had to tend to the Illyrian camps, no training with the Valkyries or battle strategies to hound over.

But old habits die hard - he woke before the sun everyday, utterly exhausted. He wasn’t sleeping well, just reliving that terrible night in his head over and over - what he could have said differently, if he’d made the right choice.

Of course, he’d made the right choice. Choosing you over those who were so ready to cast him out. He just regretted walking out the door without slamming his fist into his brother’s nose.

Cassian suppressed a haggard sigh, shifting in bed to roll you off his chest. Your brows crinkled in confusion, discomfort at the slight change of position. You nuzzled your face into the fluffy pillow, falling back asleep before your mate pressed a soft kiss behind your ear. Cassian eased himself quietly off the bed, twisting and cracking his spine as he flexed his wings in the small room.

Cassian loved your apartment. Quaint, cozy, warm - he’d never truly had a home. Not a house of his own, just staying at his brother’s houses. His mother’s house was burned to the ground when he’d returned for her - he didn’t have many memories of her or the home, but he imagined it would be much like yours: riddled with blankets, too small for his wings to sit upright on his back, a small fire that could somehow warm every room. You’d even gotten rid of most of your blooming plants, opting for just the lush green ones, as the pollen had him waking up with itchy eyes and a runny nose.

He smiled softly as you reached for the pillow beside you, the other half of the bed still warm from where he laid with you. But he’d spend the morning training in the Spring forest, and would return home before you woke.

He donned his Illyrian leathers - despite many attempts to leave them behind, he couldn’t find anything as comfortable to train in. No clothes could carry as many weapons, couldn’t keep him warm as he flew laps around the court. By the time he fully dressed and was out the door, the sun was already peeking through the town, orange light shining at the end of the street as Cassian took off in a run, sprinting through the town and making his way to the woods.

He relished the time he could be alone, where the village was empty and there were no strangers, no Fae staring nor children pointing at his wings. Normally, the male was confident enough to push pass that all, or nicely answer questions when they stopped him in the street. You were always hanging on his arm, speaking kindly with your neighbors. Many of them were nice - simply interested in the foreign male - but there were a few that threw glares, and a couple territorial males that growled at him as they passed by.

But that’s why Cassian kept training - just in case. That, and he was a restless male.

He wove through the trees, pulling his heavy sword from where it laid snugly between his wings, and slashed at the drooping branches and thick vines. His wings unfurled behind him, dragging against the wind as they slowed him. They ached, spent too long curled up underneath him as he slept last night, they hung off the bed haphazardly on the other nights. Cassian smiled to himself, imagining a home the two of you could build together - big enough for him, cozy enough for you to fill with those green plants and comfy furniture.

Cassian spent the morning throwing rocks and doing push-ups, climbing the rope-like vines and practicing his knife-throwing. He’d had half a mind to fashion himself an Illyrian bow - carve it from the thick bark of a healthy tree, strong enough to send the arrow even as far as the Night Court.

He pulled his thick dark hair behind his head, tying the sweaty strands back with one of his leather bands. His ear twitched when he heard the rustling of the trees behind him. His wings shot up immediately, perked up behind him ready for a fight. The sun was almost fully up, rays of light shining through the tall trees. But the brush was dense, he couldn’t quite make out what was making the noise.

“Azriel?” He called, stepping closer to the line of trees. His brother had a tendency to play tricks on him, attack him where he was least expecting.

But he knew Azriel would have been silent.

Cassian didn’t know what lingered in the Spring forest, the small and large creatures that lived amongst the flora. There was no answer, not even the continued rustling of leaves and dry sticks. The male’s eyes traced the outline of the thicket, unable to make out any threat. With a huff he stretched his wings and took to the skies, circling around the woods to cool off before he headed home.

He pushed himself into the bedroom as you were just waking up, stretching in bed when he caught your eye. You smiled, the bond in your chest unfurling with warmth as he approached the bed. He bent over the mattress, offering you a kiss in greeting. You hummed a reply, curling your arms around his neck, trying to pull him back to bed.

Cassian chuckled, hoisting you up instead. “Let me at least bathe before I take you in the bed,” he whispered against your lips, tucking an arm underneath your legs and holding you close to his chest.

You smiled, nuzzling your neck against his dewy skin. “You do smell,” you mumbled, arms circling around his neck. “But I don’t care.” You pecked his cheek. “I don’t like waking up without you.”

Your mate huffed, kicking open the bathing room door. “You’re more than welcome to come train with me.” He set you on your feet and cupped your face, holding your jaw in his palms. You rose on your tiptoes, letting the male press a firm kiss to your lips.

Your hands encircled his wrists, holding him still as you met him in the middle. “Then I’d smell just as bad as you - plus I need my rest. Besides, you always manage to find other ways to tire me out, after all.”

Cassian smiled, showing all his teeth. Nothing but pure adoration lacing his features.

He found that each morning he saw your face shining in the rays of light peeking through your small bathroom window, the pain of leaving his court lessened each day. The bond in his chest was stronger than ever, constantly humming with activity and bursting with love.

The two of you bathed each other, something that had become part of your sacred morning ritual. You shut your eyes and leaned your head back as he washed your hair, his fingertips running over the sensitive part of your scalp behind your ears. You washed his back and wings, paying special attention to where he’d always somehow managed to cake mud at the base of the wing where it stemmed from his back.

You’d waited until you were mated - you’d picked up on the fact that despite their size, they were quite private. Always held high and proud, you admired them from a distance, afraid to even run your finger along the wide bone that stemmed from Cassian’s thick muscled back. It was months after you’d officially mated in secret - even after you’d rode through the frenzy. Cassian took your hand in his and traced everywhere he liked to be touched. So strange, having never even seen a male with wings, then to be mated to one. You didn’t know where to begin.

The more time Cassian spent frequenting your small home in Spring, the more comfortable you grew with the wide leathery wings. You’d explored what made him tick - where to touch him to make him cum, how to oil the leather, how to properly wash them, which of his muscles were sore after a long flight, how to relieve the tension. Cassian eventually had trouble falling asleep in his home court, without your fingers mindlessly tracing patterns against the soft flesh.

After your bath, your mate wrapped you in a plush robe, dressing himself in the soft sweater you’d gotten him as a birthday gift last year - a Spring evergreen color that brought out his eyes. You’d even taken one of his knives and sliced wing holes through the back and sewed buttons along the bottom. It was haphazard, not as precisely done as the thick ones he donned from the Illyrian Mountains. But he assured you that he loved it nonetheless.

“Some tea, dear?” You asked, already filling the kettle for more than enough for two cups.

He nodded in response, already slicing up the bread for breakfast. Cassian had a habit of preparing himself a cooking-snack, already digging into a plate of bread with jam and cheese as the eggs cooked on the stove. You weren’t sure he had a favorite meal of the day - every time he ate was damn near a feast.

Though, you supposed you couldn’t complain. Your home was always stocked to the brim with fresh pastries, breads, the finest roasts, and more potatoes than you could count.

You wouldn’t complain about his size, either.

Cassian sneezed as soon as you opened the kitchen window, a small breeze blowing through the house. He rolled his shoulders back and continued to stuff a slice of cheese in his mouth before tending to the eggs.

Your shoulders shook with a flinch as you heard a firm knock on the door, followed by what sounded like a kick.

Cassian watched you, pausing mid-chew as his eyes flitted between you and the door. You held your hand up at him, stopping him in his tracks as he already started moving towards the living room. “Let me see.” Your mate cocked a brow, wiping his hands at his pants. But Cassian nodded, watching you stalk to the door.

It wouldn’t be uncommon for your neighbors to visit, to bring you some extra pastries or flowers, to stop by for a chat or ask to borrow some flour. You were fairly certain some of the younger females came by to ogle at your mate, especially for a chance to see him when he’d cook shirtless. It never failed to make him blush and scramble for something - anything - to cover up with.

But that morning, you didn’t expect to open the door and come face-to-face with the High Lord.

His eyes were narrowed, jaw set and filling the frame of the door. His hands were balled into fists at his side, knuckles white in strain. Tamlin’s blond hair was long past his shoulders, where he normally kept it trimmed and tame, it was unruly, jagged edges frayed and burnt.

Your heart stopped in your chest, stricken with fear when you met those piercing green eyes. Purple half circles laced his under eyes, dark marks carved into his high cheekbones. The white shirt he wore was frayed, dirtied, and hung loose on his frame. His eyes didn’t leave yours, not to search around your living room, not to Cassian who’d no doubt drawn his knives in the kitchen. Tamlin’s voice was like gravel. “I can smell him.”

“High Lord, sir - I - ” You stuttered a response, offering him a half-assed curtsey. Your hands shook as you grabbed at your robe, pulling it tighter around yourself.

Despite how much you’d wanted to defend him after your stint in the Night Court, you’d never actually met the male - never seen him up close, even. But he stood - absolutely raging - at your front door and you were shocked.

You felt the heat of a familiar Illyrian approaching behind you, his wings splayed out for intimidation - for preparation, you thought, unsure of what fight was about to unfold at your front door. “You’re not welcome in my court.” Tamlin’s eyes flicked upwards, above your head, surely meeting where Cassian stood at your back.

“She’s my mate,” Cassian began, gruffly but level. Not looking for a fight. “Where she goes, I go.”

Tamlin didn’t flinch. “She’s of the Spring Court - she’s mine.”

You took a step away from the High Lord, right into the brick wall that was Cassian’s chest. His arms landed on your arms, warm hands wrapping around your shoulders. He held you firmly in front of him, against him - your heartbeats synced. Cassian’s calmness flooded through the bond, the peace before battle; alert, but ready. Ready to throw you out of the way should he so need to.

“She’s not yours, not even because she’s Spring.” Cassian’s grip tightened as he leveled the High Lord in front of you; the one you’d dared to defend in front of his own High Lord and High Lady - of his previous court, he supposed. “I’m not here to cause any trouble.” He took a deep breath, one in which would allow him to force the next words out of him: “I am seeking refuge.”

To which Tamlin almost let out a huff of air - humor in his eyes. “Refuge,” he tested the word, grimacing at the bitter taste. “What do you know of refuge? And what about it in my court?” Tamlin drew his shoulders back. “You aided that bitch in destroying my - ”

Cassian ushered you out of the way, leaving you stumbling a few steps off in the living room as he approached the High Lord. “What you did to your own court - ”

Then Tamlin lunged.

He drew his claws, sharp and jagged, aimed directly at Cassian’s face. But the Illyrian was too quick, drawing a hidden knife from his pants.

You squinted - how he managed to hide that in his linen pants -

Cassian’s wings splayed out behind him, balancing the male as he stepped backwards and threw the High Lord off of him, angling the blade between them, right under Tamlin’s jaw.

Tamlin pushed himself up on all fours - to be fair, you’d never seen his wolf form, only heard stories and rumors about the shifter male, but gods he was already animalistic enough. He jumped at Cassian again, who stumbled backwards through the doorway, and between Tamlins punches, he raised the knife upward, aiming right for his side.

The High Lord squirmed away, the blade only narrowly meeting his skin. “Get away from me if you know what’s good for you,” Cassian growled, wings bent against the wooden boards of your front porch. You yelped, hands coming up to cover your mouth as you watched with wide eyes, the two males grappling and hitting each other before you.

“Get out of my court,” Tamlin barked, reaching for Cassian’s throat.

His claws never met your mate, Cassian had grabbed his wrist and twisted it to the side, awkwardly angling Tamlin’s arms, which only infuriated him further. “You’re out of practice,” Cassian spat. “Your court is a wreck.” Tamlin kicked his legs, scrambling to pull himself from his captor. Cassian kneed him in the gut, earning a cough from the shifter. “And you fight like a bitch.”

Tamlin bared his teeth, snapping at Cass. He reached for the blade tucked into his boot, to which Cassian kicked the male off him, onto the street below. Tamlin grabbed the blade and slashed, slicing through your mate’s sweater. Cassian returned the gesture, slicing at his chest, to which he drew blood from the High Lord.

Cassian took a step back, admiring his warning cut, flaring his wings behind him. The dirt spurred around the males at the flap of his wings. He’d take to the air if that wouldn’t give him the unfair advantage. But the High Lord wouldn’t quit, he threw his knife straight for your mate.

The blade landed only in his shoulder, though, nothing the Lord of Bloodshed hadn’t dealt with before. And as Tamlin jumped for the Illyrian one last time, Cassian had no choice but to pull the knife from his wound and hold it straight before him, right to where Tamlin had thrown himself.

The knife was sharp, he had to hand it to Tamlin. It sank easily into him, into that stone cold heart he’d heard so much about.

The High Lord’s hands didn’t even grasp his shoulders as he slumped before the warrior, body sagging before him at his feet.

You felt the bond quiver, the utter shock Cassian felt at the action. You were frozen in the doorway, beyond belief with how quickly that escalated - you couldn’t even process it.

Neither could your mate.

Cassian stood over the blond male, laying bloody and limp on the dirt road before him.

It wasn’t the first male he’d killed.

It surely wouldn’t be the last.

He felt your arms around him, you’d flung yourself to his side. You wove your arms around his chest, burying your face into the crook of his arm. Your racing heart leached through the bond, racing at a pace similar to his own. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the fallen High Lord - the one who he had killed.

He clutched at your back, fisting the plushy robe as he dropped to his knees. His chest constricted as if his lungs collapsed,

A panic attack, his mind was reeling, his heart beating so fast he was sure he’d choke on his own blood surging through his veins. What a fucking perfect time. He’d come to terms with his role many centuries ago - warlord, killing for the goodness of others.

He’d just killed Tamlin.

His body felt heavy, the weight on his shoulders suddenly soul crushing.

Cassian raised his head as your hands clutched his shoulders. His heart hammered in his chest. His eyes raised from Tamlin’s cold body, but not to you - to everyone else. The neighbors had trickled out of their homes, standing along the sidewalk and in the grass. Some with their jaws agape, others holding onto their loved ones, a few crying, even fewer smiling.

Your mate watched as one by one, they bowed.

Tamlin had no kin. No family left, no lineage, no appointed heir from the Mother.

Cassian had become High Lord of the Spring Court.

“Fuck.”

____________________________________

You took Cassian to the Spring Court estate a few days later. His shoulder had healed in the meantime, which gave him the time to convince him to settle into his new role. It took a lot of initial processing, plenty of overthinking, and many hours spent pacing around your small cottage. The male was in utter disbelief - “is this even possible?” “I don’t want to be High Lord.” “I didn’t mean to kill him.”

He was confused… scared, even, you could see it.

Shit, it would be a lie to say you weren’t.

But all you could do was take it one step at a time. The Mother chose this path for him, and he had no other choice but to accept it.

You walked hand in hand through the destroyed estate, the fallen walls and piles of stones along the floor. The furniture had molded, what with the rain that fell through the holes in the ceiling, your footsteps didn’t even make an echo with how much debris lay around the halls. Creatures skitted through the rooms, slithering and burrowing between piles of rocks and destroyed foliage. Just a testament to how much there was to rebuild.

“What do I know about being High Lord?”

You scoffed, crossing your arms over your chest. “What did Feyre know about becoming High Lady? She couldn’t even read.”

Cassian gave you a flat look. “She’s still my friend, you know.”

“Is she?” You challenged his gaze. “She and her mate kicked you out of your court - your home -”

“They didn’t kick me out.” Cassian stopped in his tracks, holding up his hand to correct you - and you arched a brow at him. “I left.” You pressed your lips together. “I want to build my home here, with you.”

You smiled, stepping close enough to him that your elbows brushed against his sternum. “You’re not saying that because you have to, right? Now that you’re stuck here with me?” You couldn’t hide your teasing smile.

Cassian smiled behind a breathy laugh, the first genuine one you’d heard in about a week. “Not because I have to.” He pressed a kiss to the tip of your nose, curling an arm around you as you two continued roaming the ruins of what you supposed would be your new home.

“Are you going to talk to them?”

He knew exactly who you were talking about. But he only offered a shrug. “I guess I have to, huh?”

“You don’t have to… I’m not really sure how all this works.” You chewed on the inside of your cheek. You wished you had better answers, you wished you could comfort your mate with the truth. But you didn’t know what would happen, you didn’t know the first thing about court royalty.

You hadn’t heard anything from the Night Court, uncharacteristic, you thought, considering their constant meddling in the past. Lucien had sent word to Cassian, the second day after the Spring Court title had shifted, offering himself as emissary to the Night Court. Nothing much from Autumn, nor Winter. Helion, of course, sent congratulations along with an invitation for dinner and more - he was pleased his ‘good friend’ Cassian had joined their club.

Cassian felt the air shift, the cold that washed over him as a dark misty shadow curled around his ankle. He peered over his shoulder, meeting the cobalt siphons behind him.

You eyed the other Illyrian, offering him a nod of your head in greeting. He mirrored the gesture.

“I’m going to the gallery,” you offered, turning from Cassian and his brother, quietly making your way down the hall. Cassian sent a strum through the bond, thanking you, and offering a promise that he’d join you momentarily.

“High Lord?” Azriel teased once you’d disappeared down the corridor, offering a mock bow to his brother.

“You’ve been spying on me?”

Az shrugged. “I have eyes everywhere. Not specifically on you.” Cassian smiled. “I’ve seen far too much of you in my lifetime.”

“Did Rhysand send you?”

Azriel shook his head. “He doesn’t know I’m here.” But as his brother was uncharacteristically quiet, the Shadowsinger continued. “Trading in Lord of Bloodshed for High Lord of Spring then?”

Cassian rolled his eyes and punched him in the shoulder, a bit too hard. “I think I prefer the first one,” he grumbled.

Azriel eyed his brother, watching how he gnawed on his lower lip and how his hazel eyes flitted around the room. “You’ll be fine, Cassian. You’ve won too many wars to count and led how many soldiers into battle?” Az clapped a hand on his back. “You weren’t General of the Night Court Armies for nothing… consider this a promotion.”

Cassian rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. “Yeah well I suppose I’ll be meeting with my colleagues soon enough.” The dread dripped off his voice. He scratched the back of his head, running his hands through his tangled black hair. “I suppose I’ll be needing a shadowsinger, if you’re interested in warmer weather and a bit more sunshine.”

Azriel smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind, brother.” With a ruffle of his wings, Az prepared himself to winnow out. Cassian was sure Rhysand would have his head if he found out he spent too long in the Spring Court - or with him. “Good luck.”

Cassian bid Azriel goodbye and made his way through the estate halls, kicking the crumbled stones and stepping harshly over the broken glass. He watched the dust pool up in the corners as he wandered the corridor, crossing into the gallery. His eyes washed over the shredded canvas, greens, purples, blues - no red. He recognized Feyre’s art - he’d seen enough of it throughout the River House… and the Town House and the House of Wind.

All of her works were ripped up, clawed through until there was nothing but colorful cloth strewn about the marble floor. The art that remained hung on the walls showed the expanses of the Spring forests, sparkling lakes, and vast meadows. Perhaps one day Cassian would make it out to explore the landscape.

He found you in the corner of the gallery, where the windows had been broken out and the forest started growing in. The vines and trees crawled through the room, ivy growing along the stone walls and bright flowers blooming in the shrubbery. He rubbed the tears away from the corner of his eye before approaching you.

“I know it’s not much,” you sighed, gazing up at the painting of the orange poppy fields that hung high on the wall. “But it’s Spring…” You felt Cassian wrap his arms around your waist, holding you tightly, back pressed against his chest. Your fingers trailed over his forearms, tracing over the rigid muscle before burying his hands in yours. “It’s home.”

“It’s my home, too. The Illyrian Steppes are too cold anyway.” He nuzzled his nose into your neck, pressing a kiss to your pulse point.

“We’ll have to do something about your allergies, though.”

He groaned. “I don’t have allergies.”

“My whole neck is covered in your drippings.”

Cassian wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “There’s nothing coming out of my nose - I don't know what you’re talking about.” You twisted in his grasp, wrapping your arms around his large waist. He shrugged his wings, blinking a few times to clear the fog from his itchy eyes.

Damn the Spring Court. It couldn’t have been the Summer or Dawn Court?

He had to be the High Lord of a court he was godsdamned allergic to.

#cassian #acotar #cassian x you #cassian/you #cassian x reader #cassian/reader #acosf #fanfiction

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belovedgrayson · 2 months

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it is I, the anon from your diabetes post (lol)

talk about your favorite part about Dick's character. I too love Dick but I love it when you're the one explaining with such passion.

xoxo, anon

Why, hello, Diabetes Anon😭

Your wish is my absolute pleasure

I think my favorite thing would have to be that he’s a “symbol of hope” in every sense of the word. And I don’t mean it in a cute fluffy way or even in just his work as Nightwing, but from day one.

I don’t know if this is an unpopular opinion, but I think that Dick’s story is arguably more tragic than Bruce’s. When Bruce’s parents were killed, he still had a home to go back to, and he still had Alfred who’d been with him since forever. (I’m not trying to minimize Bruce’s loss at all btw) But Dick? Not only did he lose his parents in front of a huge audience, but he also lost his circus family, his home. He lost everything. He went from sleeping in a cozy space with his mom and dad to sleeping in a big empty manor with two strangers.

Any child in a situation like that would’ve been completely crushed and lost. But there’s something inside this particular little kid that just made him persevere and shine. Made him want to move rather than stagnate. He’s a living furnace, a bonfire. With the near disturbing innocence of a child he took whatever he had left from his previous life and made something insanely hopeful out of his own tragedy. “I can be the light. I can be Robin.”

Who the hell does that as a child? Who the hell comes out the other side of the worst thing that’s ever happened to them and thinks I’m not gonna be the dark, I’m gonna be the light ???

And then he just continues to do that with anything that gets thrown in his way. He continues to reach out to people and be their light. He continues to make jokes, to forgive, to lighten up the mood. He’s an endless source of light. A literal ball of burning sunshine.

Bruce empathized with the kid and took him in to help him. I wonder if he knew he’d just met his own savior.

#ask me anything #send me anything #my little ball of burning sunshine

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anghraine · 9 months

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Long, rambling, general post (with some detours into Austen + SW):

I find the academic obsession with novelty (at least in my field) rather irritating and in some ways actively harmful. But I've been thinking about it as I work on my dissertation, and there is an underlying concept I do find important.

Over here, I'm pretty content to scream my opinions at no one in particular, and have fun if people end up (courteously) answering back. But while there are commonalities between fandom meta practices and academia, a major difference (again, at least in my field) is that in academia, you essentially have to familiarize yourself with the wider community and discourse, and engage with it.

In literature, at least, it's important that you're not just reaching interpretations in a functional vacuum—interpretations that may well have been reached and argued thoroughly and well before. If you've got something fresh to contribute to the overall conversation, okay—maybe you basically agree with another interpretation but feel it could be expanded upon or there are some nuances that got missed. But the conversation doesn't particularly benefit from people just echoing the exact some interpretations over and over without adding or modifying them at all.

To put it another way, not everyone needs to (or should) cover every interpretation they agree with. This is not exactly literary criticism's reputation, but it's fundamentally social. Not everyone needs to do everything. Different people can and should cover different ground, and the general discussion benefits from this.

But this post isn't really about academia.

I think there's some real value in this idea that not everyone needs to be seen to repeat every correct take, or every take they agree with. Sometimes you're not really equipped to add anything. Sometimes you're not the best judge of a particular issue because it's not in your ballpark. Sometimes the ground has been so thoroughly covered in wider social discourse that you don't really need to add to it.

And I think this is especially important when it comes to the Internet firehose. People essentially repeating the same thing over and over and over without adding anything significant is a major way that ideas—including mistaken ideas—spread so quickly. Sometimes it's fairly inane jokes that become inescapable for an OP or within a fandom or whatever (book Isildur fans unite!). Sometimes it's mistaken or irrelevant corrections that someone/some people get bombarded with because no one bothers to check if the corrections have been made already. Sometimes it's the same reply ad nauseam, which quickly becomes intensely irritating while adding nothing. Sometimes it's worse than that—wrongheaded or exaggerated attacks on someone's character that get launched at the person incessantly, or active disinformation.

But basically, I think it's worth considering the shape of the overall discussion when you're considering what you specifically are going to contribute to it, if anything. Sometimes this is very serious. Sometimes it's a minimal consideration for others and for your impact on the general atmosphere in a fandom or some other social context.

For instance: back in 2005, when the Keira Knightley/Matthew Macfadyen Pride and Prejudice came out, my part of Austen fandom was having absolute conniptions over it. Some of this was over literally any adaptation of P&P ever being made after the 1995 mini-series (especially anyone else ever playing Darcy). Some of this was over claims that the 2005 P&P was generally more Brontë than Austen. Some of it had to do with particular contractions, or certain depictions of characters, jokes, aesthetics, dialogue, etc. I remember very serious articles about how it was a flash in the pan that would soon disappear from cultural consciousness (lol).

I actually share a number of the criticisms, as it happens! But I thought (and still think) that the collective outrage was ... excessive, at best. So I mostly didn't talk about my personal gripes because they already seemed to disproportionately dominate the conversation (to me, etc), and I didn't want to add to it. But it interests me that people have sometimes assumed that not personally adding to the griping about it means that I love it (and often, that I need to be corrected from doing so!). The same thing happens with particular ships or dynamics I don't like but don't want to add to discourse about.

I've definitely erred in the other direction. I used to talk quite a bit more about my criticisms of the Star Wars prequels, for instance, which I later regretted despite still having those criticisms. The fandom rage was just so over the top and everything covered so exhaustively and excessively by others that it (very belatedly) started to feel like adding to it was kind of like kicking a dog.

On the flipside, sometimes the firehose is pointed the opposite way from my personal opinion, and even if that opinion is just a mousy little cheep amidst the roar of approval/disapproval, voicing it seems more appropriate to me than joining a stampede of disproportionate hatred. Or sometimes the general discourse is pretty mixed and you just have to exercise judgment about your role in it (I've definitely gone for "I see a lot of debate on this point and hell with it, I get a place in the ring, too").

But in any case, I think that the pressure to be seen to have a take all the time and the assumptions made about people if they don't individually weigh in on ... basically everything is really misguided. We're social creatures! Sometimes ground has already been thoroughly covered. Sometimes it's been covered far too much. And I think stopping to think of what we're really adding, even when we're not plodding through reviews of the literature in academia, can be worth attempting.

#anghraine babbles #ivory tower blogging #general fanwank #austen blogging #austen fanwank #sw fanwank #long post

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shxtodxroki · 1 year

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𝟸00 𝙵𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚗𝚜: 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚂𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚙𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚆𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝙼𝙷𝙰 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝙰𝚛𝚎 𝙻𝚒𝚔𝚎 (𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝟸)

Summary: What’s it like having a sleepover with various MHA characters (as their s/o)?

Warnings: Mentions of food

Characters: Katsuki Bakugo, Izuku Midoriya

Word Count: 1.3k

These headcanons are part of my 200 Followers “Ice Cream Parlor” event which is still open for requests, so please feel free to read the event rules here and send in your own event headcanon request! :)

♡ Katsuki Bakugo ♡

- Honestly when you first got together with Katsuki you figured sleepovers wouldn’t be a very common thing between the two of you, this man is protective over his beauty sleep and doesn’t like being interrupted for anything so you figured sleepovers would be a hard no from him until the two of you were much older and decided to move in together

- Surprisingly, though, you end up sleeping over at his dorm much more often than you expected at the beginning of your relationship

- He knows that he gets so busy with training and homework that you two don’t get to spend a ton of time together, and he doesn’t want you to feel neglected at all so sleepovers are his way of making up that time with you

- Plus you’re literally the most important person in the world to him, so he likes having you right beside him when you sleep because that’s when you’re the most vulnerable, and it comforts him to know that he’ll be right there to protect you if anything happens

- Sleepovers are pretty much always over at his dorm though, he has everything set up to perfectly fit his sleeping conditions and needs and if those are disrupted then so is his meticulous sleep schedule, so he only comes over to your dorm if you’re like, super sick or something lol

- Typically when you sleep over at Katsuki’s dorm you head over as soon as you’ve finished classes and training for the day, and the moment he returns as well he’s immediately holding on to you in some way

- Katsuki’s not like, overly touchy in public unless he’s feeling jealous or something, but whenever the two of you are alone he pretty much always has his hand on you in some way, usually an arm wrapped around your waist or shoulders. He just likes holding you :)

- He’s a big horror movie fan, so if you’re into horror movies (or even if you’ll just tolerate them) then expect a lot of horror movie nights when you have sleepovers lol. Of course he’d never force you to watch any if you’re really not interested, and if you are willing to watch a horror movie with him, then he always “begrudgingly” offers to let you choose the next movie you two watch (except he will get upset if you don’t choose one and will proceed to make you choose because your opinions are just as important as his in this relationship!)

- And we all know that Katsuki’s pretty smart and good at getting his schoolwork done, so if there’s anything that you’re struggling with then he uses sleepovers as his chance to help you out/as a mini tutoring session

- He’s not nearly as aggressive with you as he is with Kirishima or the others, he keeps his temper in check and manages to explain the concepts to you in a straightforward, matter-of-fact way (just without his usual bite or aggression behind it) and he always makes sure you understand completely and feel confident before he leaves you to finish your work

- Katsuki prefers minimal distractions while he sleeps, he keeps the room silent, dark and keeps his bed completely empty aside from one pillow beneath his head and a comforter to cover himself up. But if there’s something you need to help you sleep, like a white noise machine or a stuffed animal, then he’ll keep it in his dorm for you. Ignore his complaints about how he’s “disrupting his sleep for you, you loser”, it’s just his way of showing he cares <3

- Like I mentioned earlier, he likes feeling like he can protect you even while you sleep, meaning sleepovers typically lead to you falling asleep with his arms completely wrapped around you. He’s essentially a human heater, though, so in the warmer months you may end up needing to forgo a comforter so that you can still sleep cuddled up together without completely burning up in your sleep lol

- And don’t expect to be staying up any later than 10PM at the absolute latest in Katsuki’s dorm, even that's pushing how late he’s willing to stay up, but for you he's willing to stay up a little later if you’d like as long as you're cuddled up in bed with him and/or ready to head to bed by 10PM :)

♡ Izuku Midoriya ♡

- Sleepovers are in no way, shape or form a rare occurence when you’re dating Izuku lol, this boy loves you so much and would happily spend every minute of his free time with you, so he’s over at your dorm or you’re over at his constantly

- He honestly doesn’t even care what the two of you do, he’s just so worn down and stressed sometimes after training so hard each day and your presence always washes a wave of serenity and happiness over him <3

- Izuku’s honestly pretty forgetful when it comes to his homework, so when the two of you have sleepovers the first thing you do is usually help him out of his homework. Neither of you really want to do it, but you work together to get your homework done quickly so that you can move on to better ways to spend time together

- Snacks are definitely a big thing with Izuku, though, so he always has plenty for the two of you to share! He’s pretty stocked up with both of your favorite treats in his dorm room, but even if you’re in your dorm he carries plenty in his backpack, so the two of you can snack to your heart’s content

- Izuku’s not a huge gamer or anything, but he likes to play video games when he has the time, and he especially likes playing co-op games so the two of you can play together and you can join in!

- He’s not very picky, whether you like battle royale games or cozy games like Animal Crossing, he’ll play whatever you’re in the mood for as long as the two of you can do it together :)

- Izuku also definitely has a habit of rambling quite a bit when he’s with you, he just feels so comfortable around you that he lets all his thoughts flow out of his mouth even more than he usually would

- It actually leads to some pretty interesting conversations between you two, especially when you stay up extra late together lol. He’s the type to bring up a seemingly simple topic that eventually leads to a long-winded rant from one of you, or a super deep discussion on the meaning of life or something like that hehe

- Izuku’s not very interested in skincare on a daily basis or anything, but if skincare’s something you’re interested in and you have products to spare/want to share them with him? Then of course he’ll join you!

- He loves the feeling of your fingers gently pushing a face mask onto his face or rubbing exfoliator gently into his skin, it makes him feel loved and taken care of <3

- And if you have hair long enough to be brushed/styled, then he really likes to brush through your hair :)

- It’s relaxing and feels nice for you since he’s always extra gentle (he never wants to hurt you, even the slightest bit) and he finds it very relaxing to just brush through your hair, plus it gives him another chance to be close to you :>

- Sometimes he even decides to style it! He’s not the best at it since he’s never really styled his own hair, but the more he does it for you, the better he gets!

- He loves trying out new, fun styles, and you always take a picture of the final look and show it off on social media and it makes him feel all warm and fuzzy that you’re proud of the job he did :)

- And when it’s time to go to sleep (pretty much whenever you get tired, Izuku doesn’t have a very strict sleep schedule that he feels the need to follow) the two of you will be cuddled up together without a doubt, though he doesn’t really care who’s holding who. Just as long as you’re all cozy and cuddled up together he’s happy, and he’s able to sleep peacefully knowing you’re safe by his side

- (He also snores just a little bit, but he has the cutest, softest snore that it never keeps you awake and you don’t really mind it, allowing his gentle snores to lull you into sleep beside him)

Request - Anonymous said: I would like to have matcha, buttered pecan, and coffee with oreo toppings please😋

A/N: Sorry I haven’t been quite as active lately y’all, I’d like to be posting a bit more often but I’ve just been really busy with school stuff lately now that I’m reaching the end of my final semester :’) Plus I haven’t been feeling well and have been in a lot of pain this past week, but writing’s been a big help in distracting me from my pain which is nice :] My requests are open right now, though, so if you have any requests please feel free to send them my way and they’ll be added to my request list (linked in my navi/pinned post) asap!

Taglist: @rebloglikeyouneedtoo @pasteldaze @papijean @deadmans-toe @trashy-bowtie @palenightmarepersona @eunoiasa @lady-juliette @swiftbyul @yeagerfushiguro @thekaylahub @applepie-macaroon @ghostofscarley @shinsosmatcha

If you’d like to be added to any of my taglists, you can fill out this form here! Thank you for your support <3

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tubbytarchia · 10 days

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I'm baffled that people are hating on you for having an opinion on a fictional Minecraft block man aksbahf. Even as someone who does enjoy FH (mostly the fandom version of it honestly), it's bonkers to judge someone for NOT liking a ship? Or not enjoying a character's behavior? Or for interpreting on-screen interactions differently than they do??? Like jesus, the whole point of fandom is to enjoy it the way you want to. You're not hurting anyone by seeing a pairing as negative based on what you watched. Look at friggin' Desert Duo, half the fandom writes 'em as toxic and divorced, and the other says they're devoted and inseparable. Different stances and interpretations make for a mixed and flavorful fandom experience and a melting pot of awesome stories and art. Good lord, god forbid you like something different or dislike a specific part of a media that you love lol

Keep doing you friend, you're great! <3

- 🧚‍♀️

Oh god if only it were like desert duo, if only... But lmao yeah right!! I'm sorry that Scott smajor damnthatsalongusername is a guy that exists in real life I really don't care. I just want to discuss what I see from the series! And the more I see people with similar opinions to mine talk, the more evident it becomes that those opinions used to be so minimal because of this kind of fandom treatment. And so my heart goes out to anyone who dares talk about said opinions even if it gets them accused of homophobia lol. I'm with you guys...

And the fact that you like FH... but you're on my blog and share this sentiment... Is that so hard... Is it so hard to be decently sensible about different opinions and interpretations...

Also I do like FH too haha, I don't think I can say I ship it but obviously it's really compelling to me, and I've said it before and I'll keep saying it that I very much enjoy a lot of fluffy FH art and I really like them in ESMP1 for example. But no, I said they were toxic in 3L so that means I hate them!!!! It's ridiculous how much of a black and white matter this is to so many people, I don't understand... And the thing is that I WANT to understand! As you said, it's cool and intriguing! Differing discussion only adds to any one subject matter. Soft FH people probably wouldn't change my mind but I'd love to understand their points if only those points weren't something along the lines of "shut up you're wrong" (obviously not everyone!! But it is what I keep seeing in the FH tag lol)

I've seen people proclaim Jimmy as the abusive one, or proclaim ranchers as toxic etc, and I don't see it but man does it intrigue me! It's absurd to me personally, but I'm not telling you to shut up - you can't just say that and not tell me more! I wanna know what people are thinking without shutting one another down...

#blabber #thank you so much fairy anon for the kind words also <3

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scyllas-revenge · 23 days

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I've been encountering post comments of people flipping out over the Bridgerton S3 teaser clip where Anthony sneaks a kiss on Kate while dancing in front of the ton. It made me realize that Boromir was quite bold and brazen with the way he interacted with Reader (Aerdis) in "Breathe".

Getting so close and intimate, publicly, with a lady who was not his wife or even anything?? All the pearl clutching!! 👀😂

Real question, though: what are your thoughts, opinions, or headcanons about social protocols and restrictions in Gondor/Minas Tirith regarding interactions between unmarried men and women? Do you see it as a climate similar to the Regency Era, or something less restrictive? I guess it wasn't super conservative, considering the Farawyn public canoodling... unless that was a great scandal in itself. 😂

Oooh I love this question! (and I'm so excited for Bridgerton S3!!) Here are entirely too many of my thoughts XD

You know how much I love your Breathe fic, and I think acting a bit outside of social norms fits Boromir very well- he seems like the type to feel every emotion very intensely, and while he's very aware of social norms, he's not going to let them get in his way for long. (be still my heart, fetch me my smelling salts at once)

That being said I don't personally imagine Gondorian society to be quite as restrictive as regency-era England, just because the regency era was SO restrictive. There were SO many social taboos and particular ways you had to navigate social settings, and while I'm not an expert on them all, a lot of aspects of Jane Austen's books still stand out to me as just insane, like never referring to your spouse by their first name, even when you're just chilling at home with your kids. No hand touching if you're not wearing gloves, no dancing with someone more than twice in one setting (unless you're making your intentions VERY clear), etc. And alongside that, you get a lot of class restrictions too, like only certain pastimes being considered "proper," and everything from manners of speaking and sitting and chewing your food can mark you as uncouth and poor (I'm thinking of Emma here, and all the minute ways Emma has to teach Harriet to be an upstanding member of society. It's exhausting!).

I think some of these taboos would carry over to Gondor, like needing a chaperone to hang out with a person of the opposite sex before you're engaged, and minimal touching or displays of affection (and yes, I think the Farawyn kiss was VERY scandalous, people were probably gossiping about that one for ages lol). But some of the smaller more restrictive social norms of regency society probably don't apply (unless I want them to, for heightened drama).

Overall, I'm going to say that 1. social norms probably are bent out of whack a bit both during and a while after the war, just because people had more important things to worry about, and 2. Boromir and Faramir are a half-step away from royalty in Gondor, so their behavior probably gets a pass most of the time anyway.

As for the class restrictions, I think once again Boromir gets to bend a lot of rules here- he's probably very aware of how other nobles behave vs commoners, but I don't think he cares much and is probably a bit sick of all the hoops higher-class people have to jump through just to navigate a basic social situation. I also think that, because he's a soldier, he's more attuned to the rest of his citizens than other nobles might be. Plus he's had to cook his own meals, take care of his own horse, clean and sharpen his own weapons, mend his own clothes while on the road, etc. Nothing is beneath him by now. That was probably true for a lot of people during the war regardless of wealth or class, so I'm imagining a bit of the class division kind of dissolving, at least temporarily, after the war. Everyone emerged from it in different places with a different view of the world than when they started.

Finally, I personally really like the idea of some Ancient Roman influence on Gondor (they have aqueducts, I just know it! And I love the idea of Gondorian women wearing those Ancient Roman woven hairstyles) but unfortunately I haven't been able to find much on Ancient Roman societal norms online outside of how they approach meals (which we can tell from the books and films doesn't really apply anyway). So that idea might be a bit of a dead end.

Anyway, thanks for the ask!!! And sorry I wrote such a long rambling response, but you hit me with such an interesting question XD I couldn't help it!

#answered!#boromir

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assassyart · 1 month

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Odd question.

Who would you say was more unfairly sidelined?

Angela Cross, Sasha Phyronix or Talwyn?

Hmm. That's an interesting one. Sure, I'll bite!

I guess this may be a bit controversial, but I don't really think Angela was "unfairly sidelined" at all. She had her place in the story in Going Commando, a prominent one at that, and despite me thinking her arc kinda sucks in GC, it doesn't erase the fact that her character was basically done after Going Commando. Her one goal was to stop Fizzwidget Qwark from releasing the crazy Protopet.

It's only now with ACiT and RA that Angela actually serves a purpose beyond Going Commando (and even saying that is a stretch, considering the purpose as of right now is just a mix between "where did she go?", "is she a lombax?", and the fact she is presumably with max apogee). She was never *intentionally* sidelined, in my opinion.

Overall, she was just a fan-favorite side character until they accidentally messed up with the whole "last Lombax" thing, and she didn't really seem all that important to the main characters beyond being a girl Ratchet thinks is pretty and wants to impress lol.

The other two, on the other hand... they both have it pretty bad.

Sasha is never brought up after Deadlocked's intro scene until the comics, post-ACiT. Even in the comics, Ratchet and Sasha's relationship is barely touched on, so we don't really have any idea of why they broke up besides that one site that claimed it was because of political differences. Sasha is treated like she wasn't important to the cast when she clearly WAS important to, at the very least, Ratchet. She isn't that important of a character to the story which is why I wouldn't be all that surprised if we don't see her again, but she was still IMPORTANT to a character and that alone means she deserved more than just an offscreen send-off in the comics.

It's like they specifically took Ratchet to a completely different galaxy so they could avoid past characters and introduce new ones, and OH HEEY WAIT A MINUTE, does this kinda sound familiar...?

Because it happened again. That's essentially the same thing that Rift Apart does. To avoid the elephant in the room (Ratchet's important relationships with other characters that would add to his hesitation with risking it all to go find the Lombaxes, i.e. Azimuth, Vendra, Talwyn, Cronk, Zephyr, Tachyon, etc.) they straight up just ignore having to talk about those characters by putting him in a position where they will never realistically be brought up— a different dimension, with new characters.

Despite Into the Nexus cementing Talwyn as an important character and RA being the sequel to Nexus, Rift Apart chooses to play it as safely as possible by vaguely mentioning her in one very easily missable dialogue that is, while cute, not important whatsoever towards Ratchet's inner conflict.

If this was the first time her character was treated like this, it wouldn't be a big deal... but this isn't the first time. She was (allegedly) axed from A Crack in Time, axed from Full Frontal Assault, had her role minimized in Into the Nexus, and was reduced to a credits cameo in Rift Apart. Anytime she DID have screentime, it was rarely spent developing her or her goals, and instead developing Ratchet's character and motivations.

Things do HAPPEN to Talwyn, but they happen so that she can be more relatable to Ratchet, not because it'll benefit her character.

In conclusion: sasha got the worst of it by being completely ignored until the comics because she was too cool and capable and will probably never show up again. angela isn't that bad because she still gets referenced and the door is still wide open for her to be included in a future game whenever IG decides they've had enough fun messing with going commando fans, but i do understand and sympathize with the pain of waiting over twenty years to see her again. aaaaand talwyn is a big ole mess but she's my mess so i love her no matter how many times they cut her from the games :D

#dougielombax #asks #ratchet and clank #sasha phyronix #talwyn apogee #angela cross #ranting about ratchet #anytime talwyn is in the question it's a guarentee that there will be a “read more” section because i have so many thoughts #i think all of these gals were definitely mishandled but i am putting my trust in insomniac to fix their mistakes #is that a good idea? history says no but only time will tell~#i am a gullible fool that will continue to get my hopes up

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theseasasleep · 6 months

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Story of Kunning Palace E03 (semi-live reaction)

So, it's our heroine's fate to always be crushed on by the spoiled Princess? LOL

There's no way a young woman who climbed all the way to Empress can avoid most of the path to that fate. In most of the webnovels of this type I've read, reaching that type of pinnacle means you have a fate with it, regardless of the ultimate outcome. The best Xue Ning can do is flip the script on circumstances while doing her best to skirt around the thornier aspects of future events.

1st Life: the Princess thinks back to her first encounter with Xue Ning with humiliation, embarrassment and rage

2nd Life: the Princess will think back on their first encounter with pride, happiness and warmth

So far so good. Although I totally get why she'd want to avoid tangling with a temperamental royal who she had a terrible experience with.

...

I really like how this show is shot. Sometimes you never know with cdramas if you'll get a cheap or pedestrian directing style or a dramatic and/or compelling one.

...

The show is still building its foundations and I'm just so eager to jump into the action!

*fight sequence starts 1 minute later* AND HERE WE GO!

Dude is more pissed off by the damaged qin strings than the assassination attempt! HA!

Xue Ning, as hostage: *minimize connections to minimize involvement* Mr. Hostage-taker, sir, I know Xie Wei only through the grapevine...

Xie Wei: MISS XUE NING, PLEASE DON'T SELL OUR CONNECTION SO SHORT! YOUR FATHER AND I ARE GREAT FRIENDS! IN FACT, YOU ARE MY LIFE SAVIOR!

Xue Ning:

...

Take me instead.

Mmm. Something about the silky oomph with which he said that line combined with his expression... Okay, okay, Zhang Ling He. It took three episodes but you got me: the character of Xie Wei is now officially attractive to me. All he had to do was low key deliver a line that just vibrates with high key threat.

Man, what era are my hormones in? Between finding my mojo over one ML threatening to tear an offensive man's tongue out and fixing my posture when this one is nothing but velvet menace, I need a name for it. I need to know. Should I be worried? Scared? Aroused?

oh. oh. he's so sexy... okay, now you're just showing off; put the murderous sexiness away

Not this man calling her out, leaving her neither a fissure to hide in or a crumb for modesty!

I... I can't wait until he's incandescently in love with her because I just know, I just know it will be so magnificent I won't know what to do with myself.

Girl, while you are absolutely right to defend your current relationship with Yan Lin and right to say it is a flirtation that is undeserving of such rude scrutiny... you (and us) know that man speaks no lies. You are trifling with Yan Lin and you would have done him plenty of harm without the benefit of literal 20/20 hindsight.

That being said, I see @dangermousie point: kicking off a relationship trying to gin up, stoke and maintain fear in the other party is an excellent way to receive future comeuppance in the form of watching the woman you desperately love side-eye you as she lavishes protection and support on her other suitors.

...

I like Yan Lin. Not too sorry to say that. Hopefully Life No. 2 keeps him off the rapist track.

It's nice seeing Xue Ning enjoying festivities. The impression I have of her first life self is that while she reveled in being "wild", she likely didn't really allow herself to enjoy being young and with friends, too busy being hungry.

Dear. God. That seamless transition from earnest Yan Lin in Life No. 2 waxing poetic about his first impressions of Xue Ning to embittered Yan Lin in Life No. 1 waxing poetic about his first impressions of Xue Ning with the exact. same. words. Add to it the implied threat of sexual violence in LIfe No. 1!!!

Chills.

*gagging* Did I say I like Yan Lin? Show, it's going to be hard for me to keep that opinion if you keep flashing back to that.

Me during the Life No. 2 Ning x Yan kiss scene:

I want no part of it.

All right, dude, are you telling me you raped her because she plain text told you she planned to marry someone who could help her achieve her goals?! She didn't sell you out to the devil... Or refuse to shelter either you or wounded family members... but because when you were at your lowest, like the bitch she admittedly is... was..., she told you the truth and cut ties? I mean, that's reason enough not to warn her a coup is coming for her ass in Life No. 1. There's no reason for rape, ever; even if she lit your dog on fire, you can't rape her. Just WTF, guy?!

...

Not that it excuses any of her horrid behavior but I can see how lonely Xue Ning is in what should be her familial home. That cozy scene between her parents and half-sister where in her absence there is only affection and warmth and in her presence, only awkwardness and discomfort.

She lived a childhood in poverty and exile being spoken and looked down upon; returned to her parents' home to find herself being shunted as second-born (in an era where hierarchy matters) and defective instead of receiving proper homecoming. I can see why the attraction of her sole dream, her ultimate goal - becoming Empress - would become all-consuming, especially if such a dream sustained her in exile and fueled her defiance at home.

...

Oh, jesus christ, Yan Lin, don't be an idiot! Don't believe in an enemy soldier during wartime, like...?!

...

So Xue Ning might have accidentally sold Yan Lin out to the devil.

But in her defense, that wasn't her intention. Just to watch him. Like a politics-minded creeper.

Me to Ning as she reads her former coachman cum spy to filth: GET HIM.

#post #tv show: story of kunning palace #teevee #cdrama #xie wei #zhang ling he #gif #references tv show: the office #xue ning #yan lin

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carefulfears · 11 months

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where would you have ended the series at? like some people say ftf, some say s7, some say it was right to go all the way through the revival.

do i have to keep it exactly as is and decide where to cut it off or can i go all the way through and change literally everything that happens? lmao

keeping everything the same, my ideal end would’ve been after s8. mulder and scully holding that baby, family restored, deciding he was the truth they had been looking for: that IS the end of this story. that is the only natural conclusion to what we’re doing here. there is literally no reason why it ever should’ve changed from that.

and i like s8!! other than the reproductive trauma nastiness and some dull episodes, i love the narrative of that season.

if you had to do s9 and for some reason we had to lose the baby, if i had my way, 2nd movie would’ve still been a MOTW (a completely different one lol) and dedicated a lot more to exploring the themes that are already present. what it means to be followed by “the darkness”, what it’s like to live in a haunted house, what the effect of missing child after missing child is on them and their relationship. the coping mechanisms that they’ve developed and the ways that it comes in-between them.

revival could’ve still happened, could’ve had a lot of the same ideas, i’ll even allow them the same motivations for trying to find the baby. but instead of killing jackson’s adoptive parents and doing…..whatever that was……it could’ve focused on mulder and scully getting back into solving x-files while getting to know him, on some level.

and on moving forward from that pathology that kept them so haunted for so many years; a lot of the growth they do have in the revival is in them talking about their child and not just avoiding it and carrying around the guilt. to actually be able to know him and form a relationship with him would’ve gone a long way to an imperfect but still satisfying resolution to their characters.

it’s wild how bad s9/IWTB/revival are when, in my opinion, it would’ve only taken such MINIMAL changes to be good?? CC clearly regrets the plot that ruined his show, and it would’ve been so easy to fix it, rather than try to erase it.

basically, i want IWTB and the revival, written by glenn and james not chris.

#thanks for the ask!! i love to just talk about these things with you guys #alternate: s9 but mulder offscreen as a stay at home dad #like he WANTED TO BE #and like the OBVIOUS EASIER SOLUTION to dd not being there wouldve been #series still ends with them going on the run sure why not #IWTB mulder scully william in the unremarkable house being given a MOTW case that leads them back into society out of hiding #couldve explored a bit of the effects of raising a child while on the run from the law #revival mulder scully back in the x-files some sort of mythology issue #cameos from teenage will #idk if the revival would work as well tbh #but i cannot come up with EVERYTHING #asks

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happyk44 · 1 month

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Do you have any thoughts on what powers the children of Persephone would have?

Yeah - so Persephone is the goddess of springtime and nature, and queen of the underworld. The springtime/agricultural aspect should always be more prominent than the underworld aspect, which, imo, should become more powerful during the months Persephone is at home in the underworld, but never more powerful than her flower powers.

There should be a great deal of overlap between this kids and their aunts/uncles/piblings (parents' siblings, lol, not a common term but I read it once a billion years ago and I still love it 😂 niblings is the niece/nephew equivalent). Demeter's kids should have stronger control over the earth and agricultural nature (grains and other plants typically used as crops). Persephone's kids, in my opinion, either should have no control of the earth or very minimal geokinetic abilities, unrelated to plants.

Because she is often described as queen of the underworld versus god of, as Hades is, and the underworld does not share its name with her, as it does with Hades, there should be much larger limitations between the overlap of Hades' children's powers and the powers of her kids when it comes to the dark and spooky. Nonetheless, her kids should feel just as comfortable in the shadows as they do in the sunlight. They are likely strongest during the spring months - but as springtime varies between calendars and hemispheres, maybe it's up to their perception of spring or it's strictly related to what the ancient Greeks would have thought of as spring.

So first and foremost, the springtime!

Inducement of spring, obviously. It's varies from creating spring because they can only induce spring-like nature within the realms of the area they're in. So they can't make Bermuda-like spring weather in Iceland.

They can grow and manipulate nature, especially with flowers. I headcanon Persephone to be wild and experimental. Where Demeter is the clean lines of agricultural and crops, Persephone is the vines reclaiming abandoned cars and houses. So this power is very easy for them to go overboard with; requires practice to keep it mitigated and small. This power is reliant on pre-existing plant life, so the kids will often carry packets of seeds (and maybe dirt) with them in the event they end up without direct access to nature.

They can grow plants in non-native, undesirable, or out of season areas, like a tree from a crack in the sidewalk. However, without prolonged assistance, that plant may shrivel up and die, like a water-heavy plant in the desert will dry up once the kid stops manipulating it, but in the moment, they can drop a seed, plant it and have it spring forth fully grown and whatnot.

This does in fact mean they could shove a seed or plant into a human body and have it root and grow out of that person. Like. For anyone who wants a little bloody bloody speculation 👀 (Fun fact: I like to think this was one of Demeter's combat moves during the Titan War, shoot an arrow and grow plants from the body of enemies that get hit 👍)

Rain! With spring comes rain, so I think they can manifest small drizzles of rain when needed. It's nothing particularly fantastic, but it can be useful.

They can revive dead plants, fortify them, and even mutate DNA in certain plants (though this is a tougher power to execute and requires both a lot of practice and mental effort). Mutation may not work out if the goal is to combine two plants with features that are not compatible - but crossbreeding unrelated plants is possible through them

Sunlight! Springtime is associated with the emergence of the sun and longer hours of daylight. This power, like with rain, is very minimal. Most kids are able to create a gentle low light with only their hands that they typically use on their indoor plants. It will never be as bright or powerful as, say, the Apollo, or even Zeus, kids (Zeus is god of the sky, the sun is in the sky, yes, I think they can glow)

With enough practice some kids are able to manifest small orbs of light, but it requires a lot of effort and is not as sustainable. Luckily they have good night vision (underworld bonus) so it's not as necessary, but still

They can physically connect to nature, which allows them to "see" areas that are otherwise out of sight (eg, enemies hiding in the trees or bushes, waiting for an ambush). Downside of this power is that damage to the plant life around them can cause physical pain and incapacitate them.

Similar to my headcanon that Nico is instinctively attuned to souls at a greater sense than would be natural to his siblings, some of Persephone's kids have an instinctive connection to nature and often bogged down by physical and mental health issues as a result due to pollution, poor or minimal conditions of the nature around them (like living in the city where nature is not as extensive as it would be I'm the countryside), parasite/pest infestations in gardens, crops, and such, etc.

Like with Nico and souls, it requires effort and practice to disconnect from nature enough to function daily. Persephone provides medication, disability aids, extremely healthy plants to invigorate them as needed, and frequently checks up on her kids with this issue, especially these days when nature is at its most pained.

Springtime is associated with rebirth and renewal, so they can utilize the life and energy of the plants around them to energize, heal and/or revive themselves or people. It takes a lot of effort and requires a lot of energy. Hades' children can do this as well. Both instances will kill the plant(s) used, but the flower power kids can revive the plant(s) afterwards - so long as the plant(s) in question haven't crumbled to ashes or, it's not, say, like an entire forest, because that might require a little bit more energy than they can extend. Persephone's kids can also use this power to stop someone from entering the underworld, so long as a) their soul has not been collected, b) their body is still in good condition (not decayed, rotted, etc), and c) an extensive period of time hasn't passed

Example One: I'm stabbed and I die. They exchange the life of a nearby tree for mine only a few seconds later and I'm revived.

Example Two: I'm stabbed and I die. They come across my corpse several hours/a couple days later. My soul still hasn't been collected because Hermes and Thanatos are still busy. Depending on the strength of the kid, they may be able to revive me fully BUT at the expense of more than one tree.

Example Three: I'm stabbed and I die. Hermes immediately collects my soul. I'm not in the underworld yet, just his shoulder bag with other souls. They cannot revive me.

Example Four: I have been dead for decades. My soul is still wandering because I am an atheist and refuse to go any underworld and also I bit several psychopomps when they tried so now they ignore me. The kid cannot revive me.

Example Five: I was burned to death. They find me immediately and revive me, but because the extent of my injuries exceed what they can heal via life exchange, I die again in agony and mentally curse them out for bringing me back to suffer once more.

👍👍👍

Now for the underworld powers!

Death sense, although it is weak and if the corpse in question is dead underground or has been dead for a very long time, they may not notice as quickly as Thanatos' and Hades' children would. Hermes' kids have the same issue with their death sense.

Ability to summon, see, and touch ghosts. While they can manipulate or control various spirits as children of Hades can, it requires a lot more effort to do so, especially during the months Persephone is topside, so her kids often don't bother with trying it on stray/uncollected souls (easier to use on summoned souls)

Necromancy, of course. It's easier for them to control corpses or bones. They have a harder time control large groups. Implications that would occur with a child of Hades summoning a dead body are often missed by children of Persephone, typically requiring verbal orders for the corpse to get shit done

Example: Nico senses a corpse underground and summons it. The implication along with his summoning is to be quiet as it digs its way out of the ground in order to catch Nico's captor by surprise. His step-sibling senses a corpse underground and summons it. The corpse in question may not catch the implication applied to its awakening and just continues to lay where it was buried until it receives clearer orders from the child that summoned it. They have an easier time resurrecting dead bodies and getting across the unspoken implications of the resurrection with physical touch

Corpses that spoke a different language in life, were deaf or hard or hearing, or anything else I'm missing that relates to verbally and/or audibly understanding another person, may be harder to control, especially if that mental connection (idk how else to phrase it) between them and the corpse(s) is lacking

Side note: this is just to display another example of how the overlap of powers between both step-siblings differs, it's not the holy grail, practice makes perfect and they could get on the level of their step-siblings over time, and honestly I'll probably ignore/forget the distinction myself at times, lol

They can understand skeletal chatter and ghostly whispers that would otherwise be incomprehensible to other people (Thanatos' and Hermes' kids can also understand ghostly whispers. However, skeletal chatter is usually not comprehensible to them)

Instinctive underground senses - like with Hazel in SoN, being able to walk around the tunnels without a map

Some darkness manipulation - not enough for shadow-traveling by themselves (solo travel is typically only possible via VERY short distances, a group of them working together may be able to go longer); enough to be able to blend into shadows and hide themselves, or utilize darkness to defend

Traveling through dreams (I like to think Hypnos gifts this to a lot of the Underworld kids as a little bonus, save for Hades' kids where the power is innate due to Hypnos being part of the Underworld)

Human life exchange, aka taking the life/health from one person to give it someone else. Children of Hades can do this as well, and have a far easier time with it. It costs them a lot of energy and effort, so Persephone's kids typically use it in tandem with taking life from the nature around them. Rebirth is both an underworld thing and associated with springtime, so it works.

Although similar to the above, they cannot, or struggle, do a flat death touch. If they want to kill someone with a touch, the life they're taking has to go somewhere.

And I think that's a good amount of stuff. Of course there's always more that that's possible, and again, these are just my thoughts - anyone else is welcome to come up with their own ideas. If you have thoughts on their powers, even if they contradict my own, feel free to add them or hmu about them! Love to hear other people's ideas 😊

Oh! Lol, headcanon that the seed packets the kids like to keep on hand for emergencies are mint 😂

#happy talks pjo #persephone (pjo)#happy's asks #july171224

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choccyhearts · 1 year

Text

Dating Argyle Headcanons

Note: These are just some random thoughts I need written lol

CW: Fluff <3 fem!reader (mainly just feminine adjacent things, so no pronouns used)

Argyle would be such a sweet boyfriend🥺

He is not ashamed to hold your purse if you leave to go the bathroom or something

Doesn't matter what color, shape or size, he's putting it on his shoulder and chilling

Would probably make a joke like, "Does this match my outfit🤨?"

If you have long nails, I just know he loves feeling them run through his hair when you're cuddling

And he's willing to do things for you when you have your nails long -- "Here, lemme open it for you, don't want you to break a nail, dude", "Aht! Aht! Here! I can roll, you just sit back and look gorgeous", "I'll hold that for you, don't even lift a finger"

He would be willing to join you at your nail or hair appointments, only giving his opinion when you ask for it

Like if you ask which color your nails should be: "Hmm, well that one compliments your eyes....but that one matches the season...."

He also likes hearing the ladies at the salon gossip:

"Tsk, tsk, tsk....Shannon, you deserve better! Next time he's late, don't even answer his calls. Show him you think about him even less than he does you!", "...And she said that to your face!?👀", "Wait...is this the sister with the knee problem or the one who moved to New York?"

Argyle definitely enjoys clothes shopping, I just know it!

Doesn't matter if it's for you to get clothes or for him:

"Alright, babe, what do you think? Is this too similar to the shirt I wore to Jonathan's birthday party?", "Wooaaah!! These pants are sick! Babe, babe! They even have your size!! We could match!", "Okay, now turn...hm, other way...and turn again...okay, yeah, I'm messin' with you, I just like looking at you. But, yeah, that dress is coming with us"

If you like cooking and/or baking he'll happily try out new recipes with you:

"Where's the tablespoon? Wait, hold on, why do we need that big of a measurement? That's not right, it's gonna be too garlicy!", "Mmm, that's the best chocolate icing I've ever tried, good job!", "You know what this would pair really well with...?"

Being cold around him is a pretty rare occurrence

He'll give you a nice big bear hug, holding you until you're warmed up

That being said, I think Argyle only likes minimal PDA

Cheek kisses, hand holding, hugs goodbye or for warmth, an arm slung over your shoulders or back of your chair, that's about as much as he does around others

Not to say he won't ask for you to step aside for a smooch

But in private, he's up for cuddle sessions that last for hours, lots of kisses everywhere, and he loooves hand holding so much

He'd hold your hand forever if he could

I think he's a "secret" romantic

And by secret, I mean that side of him is just for you

He likes to plan dates, even if it's just making pizza for you and lighting some candles

He's up for taking romantic bubble baths together and loves long car drives with you

He also loves to just sit in the back of his van with you and cuddle, just enjoying your presence

If you have long hair too, he's gonna play with it and braid it

He likes when you're in the bath together and you let him shampoo your hair

And I just know he can give you an amazing massage

Those hands just look like they'd feel amazing🤤

And trust, he's fine with listening to you rant

If you just need someone to listen to you he's always your go to because he'll offer advice if you ask but will also sit quietly

And he's always taking your side, ofc

He's loyal af

And he's def the type of boyfriend where when you say,

"Gasp! Don't look now, but-"

He moves his entire body around to look at who you're talking about, no subtly at all

He also probably puts on a "nice act" around people you both don't like and comes back to you, muttering under his breath, "Ugh, what fucking losers"

If you can't reach certain things, he'll offer to reach up and get them for you

Unless of course you want to feel independent, in which case he'll hold you up by the waist and lift you up,,, orrrr, will make your own little step stool😭

He would just be such a sweetheart, I need him so bad😭😭😭😭😭

#argyle #argyle x reader #argyle stranger things #stranger things #st4

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bohemian-nights · 2 months

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It will forever irk me how some people blame Laena for Daemon’s “unhappiness” in Pentos. Let’s be for real here, it was COMPLETELY his fault why they were still in Pentos. I doubt Laena would have denied Daemon the idea of returning to Westeros; she was the one who wanted to go back to driftmark in the first place. Any unhappiness Daemon had was his own fault and no one but him can be blamed (maybe viserys too but that’s another thing). Everyone who is like “poor baby, he was just longing for Rhaenyra…” blah, blah, blah - just makes me sooo heated!! Laena was right there, they need to stop acting as if she was just this means to an end. I know she’s a fictional character but it still angers me to see how minimalized she is by the fandom (especially when they race-bent her and changed the important relationships in her life - that’s one of the reasons why I say that the book is the only canon canon universe, not the show). The racism this fandom has is so crystal clear, but then everyone is all “stop making it about race”, like that’s exactly what you are doing 😭 why can’t I be upset about it?? I doubt anyone would act the way they do if Laena was white and it hurts to even admit that!

No one should sympathize with daemon in ep6, he was being a shitty person and incredibly selfish, in my opinion. (I know you love him and I’m sorry to bash him, but I know you also see his faults unlike a lot of other Daemon stans, so I hope you can understand me on this). Laena was more patient and forgiving than she should have been, I would’ve liked her to call him out instead of whatever bullshit the writers decided on. Laena was not a shy or docile person, she was brave and fierce, that’s literally canon, and the writers shouldn’t have excluded that.

And don’t even get me started on how icky this deleted script makes me feel: https://www.tumblr.com/darksvster/744315340102762496/excerpts-from-the-house-of-the-dragon . “I loved him well.” But then when Rhaenyra asks Daemon if he loved Laena, THE NIGHT OF HER FUNERAL, he says “we were happy enough.” Shut the fuck up, Daemon! 🙄

I don’t personally think Laena and Daemon’s entire marriage (in the show) was an unhappy one, but it was in such poor taste that they made their scenes the way they did in show ‘canon.’ Laena did not deserve to be shown as unhappy, certainly not right before she died. I’ll never stop saying that she deserved better because she really really did. And that’s another reason why I’m writing my fix-it fanfic for her. I just want her to be happy in the end 🫠

Thank you for reading this incredibly messy rant. I hope you don’t hate me for this lmao.

That’s nothing, but cope cause these walking napkins once again forgot about chokegate.

By their own logic Daemon must have been on the verge of jumping off a cliff with Rhaenyra cause no matter how miserable he was with Laena he never laid a hand on her or abandoned her when she was giving birth to their children🙃

He’s literally always 0.2 seconds from sending Missy Anne to join Gollum. If he truly was longing for her like that he wouldn’t even think of laying a hand on her.

Lol, jokes aside, no way he was completely miserable with Laena and she definitely didn’t make him miserable. If anything she calmed his psycho ass down. The man wasn’t miserable because of her(he was just missing the walking corpse he called a brother). That was the most stable time in his life. Which isn’t saying much, but it is what is even if they don’t want to admit that.

You know what he would’ve done if he was actually miserable, wanted Missy Anne, or wanted out of his marriage? He would’ve broken out the good old divorce rock🪨

We are talking about a man who does what he wants with no impunity. He has no qualms about killing family or abusing/murdering his wives.

He could’ve easily killed Laena(especially while she was in labor), but he didn’t do that. He wanted to be with Laena(which is why he married her even though Miss Maegor was begging him to choose her back in episode 5). For all intents and purposes he was content with the means to an end.

Yeah they are all fictional, but these are people are blending real life with fiction cause it’s clear that the main reason why they keep saying this crap is because Laena was made Blackish. These Karen’s refuse to relate to Black(ish) woman on any level so they now are hyping up their titanic ship because Missy Anne is white and blonde.

Real talk, I don’t even think most of them actually care about Missy Anne as a character. She’s just a mascot cause they want to ride Daemon’s dick(no judgements cause Miss Maegor is lame, and Daemon is hot, but they need to be honest about it. I’d never ship something where my fave is being beaten upside her head by her man).

Now Daemon and Laena’s marriage was far far far from perfect in the show. He was not the best husband to her. She definitely deserved better than what he gave her, but they really are trying it when he keeps going Ike Turner on their self insert.

Yes, Laena dies and she’s a minor character, but she does have an impact on the story and on Daemon’s arc. They won’t admit that though because they actively trying to limit her impact.

(See how they keep trying to associate her girls with Daemon as Miss Maegor’s daughters cause the queen of flops gave birth to a lizard instead of a daughter “who looks like” Daemon to replace the half-breeds).

And even though they took away her fire in the show and made her into some poor helpless unloved woman(aka a stereotype), she still made an impact because if she was truly a bump in the road they would’ve stopped talking about her as soon as she offed herself.

The bar is in hell yes, but they need to recognize where they stand.

Honestly this whole discourse is once again pathetic and riddled with Casper the unfriendly ghost sociopaths being butthurt that their ship is pathetic.

They have to use headcanons to prop it up cause the books make it clear Laena was Daemon’s most beloved wife and Valyrian Karen was abandoned for Nettles(let’s not get into that cause she sends the methheads into a rage) while the show has him beating their self insert black and blue.

No one is trying to make this about race, but when you have people calling fictional characters the n-word, comparing them to monkeys, saying it’s okay to cut a Black character because there are too many Black people on the show, saying that it’s a shame Daemon doesn’t have any daughters he can relate to cause the ones he has aren’t white, and saying that it’s a determintal character trait to have Daemon sleep with Black women, well how else are we supposed to view it?

This doesn’t even cover half the demented crap they’ve said and we aren’t even getting into how they start gang stalking you, and trying to gaslight you into believing their lies, when you call them out on the bullshit.

Someone who isn’t racist would say those things. You can dislike a character or characters, but when you base your hate on racism, well congratulations! You’re a racist!

It’s so frustrating dealing with this fandom because any time you point out the obvious misogynoir you become the bad guy, the hater, the bitch, whatever. People only like you when you don’t rock the boat(aka don’t say anything about this because you’re bringing down the vibes), but how are you supposed to turn the other cheek when you see that?

The moment Laena became Black she became worthless to this fandom and the showrunners, to the point where they are only comfortable with her fitting into a stereotype.

Well now we are both ranting so I think we are even 🤣 I do love Daemon, but I love to drag him when he does wrong(I love my girls more than him so he’s in the doghouse. Book!Daemon would be ashamed of show!Daemon). Thank God fanfiction exists(and the books). Can’t wait to read yours. I’ll be updating mines this weekend)🙌🏽

#bnasks #bnask #my rants #shitty dragon show discourse #🌊#laena velaryon #she deserved better #daemon targaryen x laena Velaryon

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yocalio · 20 days

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Hii! First of all, I'm an old follower of yours and I always loved your gifs. Recently I started watching Shōgun thanks to you. I didn't read the books (are they good?), but I'm really enjoying it. The only thing that bothers me is that they keep bringing up how John and Mariko are close to each other, while it's been a few episodes now since we saw them being intimate (I don't mean the sex scene in particular, but them being alone, deep conversations or little things, anything). It's like everybody understood the thing between them, but they're not doing much. If they wanted to keep the focus on their relationship, why didn't they show us more of them? I'm all in for the yearning, it's not like I want them as a couple right from the start, but this all talking about them but at the same time leaving them to the sides feels weird. What do you think about it? Sorry, this ask is too long (:

First of all, thanks for being a long-time follower! And I'm glad you started watching Shogun. I did read the book late last year after I found out about the new FX adaptation and it was amazing. I really recommend it. It's only one book but it's very long. 1,300 pages approximately.

As far as what's going on with John and Mariko. You're not the first person to notice this and I guess I should've seen this coming after going back recently and reading some of the earlier reviews of the show. Some journalist made a point to say that the core romance between them "fails to ignite" in a Hollywood Reporter article and in others that the romance from the book/original miniseries had been purposefully minimized. I don't necessarily think it's failed. It's igniting alright, it's just not living up to its full potential and is leaving us all a bit confused and frustrated after getting invested, especially those of us that have read the book.

(IN MY OPINION) I think this was a creative decision by the showrunners to make a more culturally sensitive and historically accurate show set in feudal Japan. This also explains why they haven't missed a beat on Buntaro's jealousy subplot while they've left out a lot of what Mariko and John go through together. I may not like it because I believe it really hamstrings John and Mariko's personalities and alters their motivations moving forward and even possibly the ending, but I really think that's why we haven't seen them interact after episode four other than some yearning glances and frosty conversations.

Never fear though, I still think we'll get some great moments between them coming up soon and probably in this next episode as Shinnosuke Abe's (who plays Buntaro) latest Instagram post hints "As Buntaro, I don't wanna watch this episode" coupled with the trailer for episode eight. Sounds like Mariko may have had enough of his crap and gives in to her feelings for the Anjin? Finally? Please?! We shall see. I don't want to get anyone's hopes up, I'm just going by what I know to be true in the book but can't say for sure because adaptations have a way of telling a different story than their source material.

Anyway, this was long. Hope it helps though, lol.

#ask #shōgun #shogun #mariko x blackthorne

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aspentart · 1 month

Text

Arthur Morgan x GN! Reader

(*Note: This is set after Colter because I haven’t gotten past Ch. 2 and want minimal spoilers even though I’ve watched countless lore videos. I just have an awful memory, lol.)

{{ Any asterisks are notes from me that are silly / wouldn’t match the theme of the fan fiction/ were too long-winded to put into the actual fic! They correspond/are paired respectively in numerical order <33

No warnings in particular, just a bunch of fluff at the end and slightly out of character interactions? <333

Everyone in camp had finally settled down after a few days, save maybe Uncle and Swanson (but when were they ever settled in?), but otherwise, everyone was doing fine. Valentine seemed a quaint town, the saloon already housing Javier and Charles. Everyone in Van der Linde was overjoyed to be off that mountain. You included, of course. Still recovering from that mountain fog, you stuck to doing chores around camp rather than immediately sniffing about Valentine for jobs. Even after Dutch’s long-winded speech of everyone needing to pull their weight, you felt the need to shake Colter’s frost from your bones, but only a few more days. Any longer than that, and everyone would be upset, not just Dutch.

Today would be your last day of ‘leisure’ before you’d have to go into town and pick up a job for the camp’s funds. Pushing past your tent’s flaps, you greet warming rays of sunlight. Tilly and Karen are the first to say good morning to you-- giddy, to your surprise. They’re both rambling about going into town with Mary Beth, talking about all the mischief they’re planning. Leaving you after your tired hums for answers, the girls kept chatting until they seemed to slip away from camp. Miss Grimshaw is upset at the disappearance of Karen, Tilly, and Mary Beth; you do your best to assure her it won’t be long until the girls are all back. She simply finds it as motivation to nag you about your chores, and you have no choice but to oblige after she ushers you to chop wood for the various campfires.

At the drop of a pin, you suddenly took up the chores of most of the girls. Of course, there wasn’t much to complain about; you are supposed to be helping them regardless. Most of the things were tame anyway, and honestly, you enjoyed the quiet nature of each task. It felt less like a punishment, in your opinion, at least. It’s not much longer until you hear chatter bubble up again, particularly the howling laughter you knew erupting from Karen. The sun was beginning to dip down by now; you hadn’t even noticed how quickly the day passed. “God, you should’ve seen the look on his face! I’m surprised he managed to stand a second against Arthur. Then again, I probably would’ve been worse off if Arthur wasn’t there,” Karen recalled, grabbing your arm.

Mary Beth slipped her arm around your other arm, shaking it excitedly. “You should have come with us! God knows you need it; being cooped up in camp is doing you no good,” she giggles. With a slight nod, you reply, “I guess? ‘Think I like tending to chickens over being at the end of someone’s pistol.”

“You’re such a sissy! Come and live a little, [y/n]!” Mary Beth retorts playfully, now grabbing at your shoulder.

“I think I’ve already lived my fair share before and during Blackwater,” you huff, shaking your head at the thought of another big mishap.

To your surprise, Arthur butts into the conversation, a soft chuckle rumbling in his chest: “I have to admit [y/n], ‘think you might have a better head over all of us.” You can only muster a soft sigh in response, but there’s a familiar tug on your lips. Karen nudges your side, raising her brows. Mary Beth mirrors her gesture, adding to the teasing by mimicking a wolf whistle. Arthur hadn’t heard (much to your relief), already being pestered by Dutch about something. You’re dragged away by the two, both incessantly teasing you before settling at a table with Tilly. By then, the group dismissed the entire exchange between you and Arthur; you thank a higher power or some ethereal being that they did.

The four of you chatted and swapped gossip for some time, well into suppertime. Tilly and Mary Beth excused themselves first, with Karen soon following after a small drink. Most of the camp slinked away into their respective tents after supper. Micah, Uncle, and John were bickering over something (mostly nothing) nearby. Fortunately, a ‘minimal’ amount of booze mingled amongst them. Thinking of heading to sleep, you finally leave your seat and walk towards your tent.

However, you’re quickly interrupted by someone calling out your name. Your head instinctively turns to face whoever called out to you, finding a familiar face. Arthur. “Y’busy? I just need a small favor,” he asks you, standing by the posts at the front of camp. You weren’t, but your soft bedroll was calling your name. Considering your options for a second, you decide that resting can wait a bit longer. “Not busy at all. What do you need, Morgan?” You reply lightheartedly, quickly walking towards him.

“Well, I lied; it’s not a favor,” Arthur hums, shifting on his feet.

“A bit too late to be messing around,” you comment, chuckling.

Arthur nods in agreement, having a small laugh himself: “I’m well aware, [y/n]. Feel’ like I should-- I dunno, ‘live a little’ in the great words of our dear friend, Mary Beth.”

Lacking proper words to express himself, Arthur slips off his hat and holds it to his chest before you can even get a word out. If you weren’t mistaken, he looked nervous despite wearing that sweet, lopsided grin of his. Then there was that look in his eyes, one you wouldn’t have unless you were being sweet on someone. Or, at least, were fond of. You would be lying to yourself, too, if you didn’t find it charming. He took a step closer, closing the fair gap between you both. With a deep breath, he began: “[y/n], you have been… an incredible person to know for these past years. I wanted to thank you for staying with us. With me in all that time.” Arthur’s voice was low and gentle. At first, you were expecting something much different, considering your interactions with Arthur were few and far between. To find the hound of Van der Linde completely smitten in front of you wasn’t on your checklist of life’s accomplishments; it certainly was now, though.

*Arthur’s confession wasn’t long; he didn’t go out of his way to swoon you with some grand gesture. No long-winded rant or excessive compliments, just a cut-and-dry to-the-point talk. *It was very, well, something you expected from him. When Arthur seemed to have finished, you both stood in a bit of an uncomfortable silence. A smile crept onto your features as his words finally set in. It was safe to say you reciprocated his feelings, pulling the cowboy into a firm (but loving) hug. He returned your embrace, twice as firm.

~~~~~~~~~

I would've written his confession, but I wasn't sure how to write the dialogue with his accent??

I read this line out loud, in my head, to my CAT. I couldn't come up with anything better, but I hope to improve in my next fanfic.

>>I'd love feedback and any constructive criticism or tips!

#fanfic #x reader #fanfiction #rdr2 #arthur morgan #tumblr fyp #red dead redemption two #tilly jackson #karen jones #mary beth gaskill #miss grimshaw #susan grimshaw #chapter 2 rdr #yipppeeee #tysm for waiting <3

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