#she's also made from gemstone inside

[unnaturaldecay]

Hey look... a simple reference for my earth genasi daolock Summit, and her Genie’s Vessel, a ring with a compartment. Yes her patron is a genie... how cool is that

She's supposed to be lawful evil, but i don't have it in me to really be evil...

#d&d #d&d art #d&d character #warlock #genasi #genie warlock #dungeons and dragons #i hope to draw more of her in the future but for now i wanna share it #also friend helped me with the design of clothes a lot #yes hair super inspired by houseki no kini #she's also made from gemstone inside #dope #my art #my characters #summit the warlock

[sansaorgana]

— THROWN TO THE WOLVES (IX)

PART ONE || PART TWO || PART THREE PART FOUR || PART FIVE || PART SIX PART SEVEN || PART EIGHT || PART TEN

PAIRING — Na-Baron Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen x fem!Reader // Atreides!OC

SUMMARY — Feyd-Rautha focuses on bringing back the spice production to full efficency while his wife plots against The Baron. The ghosts of her past are haunting her in the Arrakeen Palace where her family lived and died.

AUTHOR’S NOTE — It’s written as an usual x Reader fic without describing anything about the Reader’s looks but I still classified it as an OC as well since she is Paul Atreides’ half-sister. This chapter is quite long so I think the next one will be the last...? Of course I am open to write some additional chapters with these characters in the future 👀 Thank you everyone supporting my work 🙏🏻😭 I don't know when I'll post the next / last chapter. Next week I hope but it might take me more time than usual because I have to catch up with uni work finally lol

WARNINGS — arranged marriage, mentions of sexual activities (no actual smut), violent behaviour, death

WORD COUNT — 8,170

ENGLISH IS MY SECOND LANGUAGE.

THROWN TO THE WOLVES (IX)

Feyd-Rautha was barely able to hide his excitement on that day. Becoming the Governor of Arrakis was a huge deal – not only it proved that he was his uncle’s worthy successor if he was given such responsibility, but also Arrakis remained the most important planet under the Harkonnen rule due to the spice resources. Controlling this planet was like controlling the universe.

Before the official ceremony would begin, he had to deal with the formalities, all dressed up in the accurate black leather attire and pride on his face. Then his wife entered the throne room accompanied by the guards and from that moment he could only focus on her.

Her black leather dress’ design was mimicking his uniform’s one and her face was hidden by the veil made of chains and gemstones. She walked past him and bowed down in front of his uncle. Feyd knew that was the custom but it still made him clench his jaw and blood boil.

She straightened herself and fixed her dress on her abdomen as it was getting too tight in that area. Feyd smirked at the sight of her womb getting visibly swollen with his child. With his heir.

His wife signed the contract about him becoming the new Governor of Arrakis as the Atreides signet ring sparkled on her pinky finger. The truth was, her signature was not required there at all but the Baron loved to humiliate her in this way. However, she managed to do it with such dignity. Feyd wondered if she still felt like an Atreides. That signet ring wasn’t leaving her pinky finger at all ever since it had been adjusted to her size.

He wondered if it was a symbol of power for her or did she keep it for sentimental reasons.

Sentiment. That word was new in Feyd-Rautha’s dictionary. But now, when he watched his wife standing behind him with her hands clasped on her womb, he swore he could feel it.

He couldn’t explain most of the things happening inside his body at the sight of her. It was more than plain desire or sexual attraction. In fact, he had had lovers more adventurous than her and surely more experienced. But he had never met a woman like that.

She made him think of his mother, especially now, when she was expecting his child. He wondered what kind of mother she would be. Would she… love… his son? Or would he be another pawn in her court games…?

His mother was cold and distant but only recently Feyd had realised it was no reason to kill her. Was it possible that some part of him regretted it? His uncle had manipulated him into doing something he couldn’t truly understand back in the day – an act impossible to undo and sealing his murderous fate.

But even his mother had never touched him so gently like his wife. And he knew that it was weak to crave that but he did – he craved more from her and her only. He would kill anyone looking at her the wrong way but she could disrespect him in any way and he’d still be on his knees for her. He had never been as obedient to his uncle. He had feared him as a little boy and then he had hated him, waiting for his turn on the Harkonnen throne. The obedience to his wife was dictated by admiration and… sentiment.

Yes, that was a new word in his dictionary.

And his harpies… Well, he had been attached to them but killing them had felt cold – he hadn't even felt sorry.

The room slowly filled with people who were to witness his nomination for the Governor of Arrakis. Feyd stood proudly and already imagined the day he would be nominated The Baron Harkonnen.

And when his uncle officially named him the Governor, Feyd grabbed his face and brought it down for an angry kiss that was a mockery of gratitude. In that kiss there was a promise of the upcoming succession of the much more important title. In that kiss there was the Harkonnen poison and everyone cheered but the Baron knew.

He knew.

You were laying on your bed on the ship inside your cabin and playing with the Atreides signet ring on your pinky finger. It felt surreal to realise that under different circumstances you would had made the same journey a few months earlier with your family when your father had been gifted Arrakis.

Your stream of thoughts was interrupted abruptly by Feyd walking inside the cabin.

“Apparently, Rabban has no idea we are coming,” he announced with a smirk and sat on the bed next to you, waiting for your approval like a little boy after telling his mother exciting news.

“Why do you hate him so?” You only asked and his smirk dropped in an instant. “Is he not your brother?”

“Do you love yours?” Feyd tilted his head a little as he watched you carefully.

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” you smiled sadly at him and caressed your bump. “He is dead and so is his older sister. But in that relationship, I was Rabban and Paul was you.”

“I am better than Rabban. He means nothing,” Feyd shrugged his arms, visibly annoyed at the fact that you scolded him and started asking questions instead of sharing his excitement.

“Do you think you will catch a tan on Arrakis?” You changed the subject and chuckled at the confused glance he gave you.

“I’m not going there for vacation,” he moved closer to you on the bed and placed his hand on your womb. You felt its warmth spreading all over your body. “And neither are you,” he reminded you.

“I know.”

“The medic says that the Arrakis might do you good. The sun and all,” Feyd explained, a bit awkwardly.

“Yes, I know. But it is also not a very pleasant environment. It is hot and dry,” you sighed. “And full of spice.��

“You will have everything you want and need there, my Baroness,” Feyd leaned in to suck on your neck – his idea of a romantic kiss. You leaned back and sighed at the pleasure.

“How big do you think he is now?” You caressed your husband’s hand gently and he moved away from the crook of your neck to look into your eyes. “Our son. Do you think he is still smaller than your hand?” You bit on your lower lip. “I like to imagine him so little that your hand covers him whole when you place it on my womb.”

“Do you think of him often?” Feyd asked and you furrowed your brows at his question.

“Of our son?” You wanted to make sure and he nodded. “All the time,” you answered with all honesty. “And you…?” You asked, carefully.

“All the time,” Feyd nodded and looked down at his hand caressing your bump.

“And what do you think?” You were scared to know the answer but you needed to know it.

“I’m proud to have a son. He will be the Baron one day and I will train his body to become even stronger than mine. And you will train his mind to be sharp like yours,” Feyd looked at you. He was serious but you chuckled at that as you caressed his cheek with your thumb.

“Just promise me that you won’t do to him what has been done to you,” you whispered as the smile disappeared from your face. “Please,” you pleaded.

“It has to be done,” was all he said as his jaw clenched.

“No, it doesn’t,” you shook your head. You could feel the tears forming in your eyes. Thinking of what your husband had gone through was painful enough but imagining your son going through the same thing was even worse.

“How else do you want him to be a great warrior?” Feyd laughed at you. “He will need discipline.”

“Discipline does not have to mean abuse. I want him to follow your steps out of admiration and respect. Do you want your own son to feel the same way towards you that you feel towards your uncle?” You raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you want your son to plot how to get rid of you? To wait impatiently for you to finally die and rot?”

“No, I do not,” he admitted after a short while of hesitation.

“Then we will do it my way,” you stated.

“I don’t want my children to be weaklings,” Feyd drawled as his hand squeezed your womb possessively.

“Neither do I,” you assured him. “And it insults me greatly that you think that I would raise them to be weak. I hate weakness,” you gave him a stern look.

“There’s your answer why I hate my brother,” he said and moved down to lay his head on your womb. You carefully caressed his temples in a soothing manner.

You still had to play little games with him sometimes, you assumed it would always be like this one way or another. But you loved him. Yes, you loved him.

Princess Atreides would rather die than admit that. For the Harkonnen na-baroness it was difficult to admit her feelings, too. But you didn’t mind giving up and finally allowing yourself to confess the truth. It was making you feel less lonely in the world. Perhaps it was love dictated by the fact you had no one else around. Perhaps you loved the way he worshipped you. Perhaps you loved him for the way he was making you feel so powerful and important. But at the end of the day, it was love. Not that you planned to say it out loud.

It was true that you hated weakness but Feyd-Rautha was yours. If he was to die, you’d die, too. You had no home to go to, no family member to turn to. All you had was him. Him and the dream of the life you two were supposed to live one day.

You knew that the black colour was a bad choice for the planet like Arrakis. But you couldn’t imagine wearing anything else. As a Harkonnen you had to establish dominance in your House’s way. Your arrival dress had to be black and made of a flowy material with a semi-transparent veil to protect your skin from the hot rays of sunshine and the wind full of harsh sand and spice.

The very first step you took outside the ship nearly made you dizzy. It felt so odd after so many months to feel the sunlight on your skin and to see the colours while not being inside any building – even if the colours of Arrakis were not many.

“My Lady,” Astra and Cara followed you outside, both widening their big, black Harkonnen eyes at the sight of the desert, “are you alright?”

“Yes, my girls, I am,” you held their hands.

“Let’s go inside, na-baroness,” the medic joined you. “At this time of the day it is recommended not to go out,” he explained and you nodded before following him with your girls, guards and all the servants carrying your things. Feyd was already inside the palace with his uncle and dealing with an embarrassed and humiliated Rabban.

You looked up through your veil and examined the sight of the building in front of you. It was not much cosier than the Harkonnen fortress on Giedi Prime. On the inside the design was raw as well, but some part of you was already used to such an environment.

“My Lady,” one of the servants approached you. He had already been living there for quite some time now as he had come to Arrakis with Count Rabban. “Shall we prepare the rooms for you and na-baron or will you take the room that belonged to the previous Duke? Count Rabban did not take it, therefore we left it untouched,” he informed you and you froze for a second.

“My father’s room? It is left untouched?” You gasped.

“Yes, my Lady na-baroness, Duchess Atreides,” the man was bowing down so low you became concerned about his spine.

“Enough of the titles, take me there,” you ordered and then you turned around at your servants. “Wait here. I will let you know what room I am taking.”

“My Lady,” they all nodded as you followed the man alone. You didn’t want even Astra and Cara around you because you couldn’t tell what your reaction to your father’s chambers would be.

“Behind that door, na-baroness,” the servant bowed down and pointed at the doors. You pushed them and let them close behind you as your body trembled at the sight. You lifted the veil off of your face and looked around.

The room was arranged in a similar way as your father’s chamber back on Caladan. Duke Leto hated any form of mess and he had everything always put in its place. You wandered around and touched all the personal belongings – his chair, his desk… You froze at the sight of the pictures he had there. One picture was of him and Lady Jessica, the other one was of you and Paul. There was even a tiny picture from his wedding day with your mother. You remembered that picture very well as you had once asked him about it. He had told you he kept it out of respect for her and for you.

You had no idea he would still keep it even if you weren’t around.

You opened the desk. Someone had been rummaging inside – most likely to take the jewellery and the important documents. But the personal letters stayed. Personal letters and… a small doll.

You had given it to him at the age of four and asked him to take care of it. You didn’t expect he had been keeping it all these years.

“Oh, father…” you whispered and brought the doll close to your heart. “One day, it will be my daughter’s,” you decided and were about to walk away from the desk when you spotted an unfinished letter.

Carefully and curiously, you picked the paper up and read the few sentences that he had written down before taking a break and never being able to go back to it again.

Dear Daughter, I am aware of the anger and all the resentment you must be holding in your heart towards me. I am not asking for much but please, write back to us. If not for me, then do it for Paul. We both miss you dearly and we are worried when you are not answering our letters personally. All we want to know is if you are safe and…

Your eyes widened and your heart skipped a beat. So, they had been writing to you. All this time... And only Baron Harkonnen knew how many letters had been kept away from you. Of course he had lied to you. How could you be so stupid…?

You clenched your fist and then threw the crumpled paper back into the drawer. It didn’t change anything now. It brought you some peace, deep down, but it didn’t mean anything anymore. It wouldn't take back time.

You approached your father’s bed and spotted a robe laying there, discarded. He would wear that over his nightwear when he was leaving the room in the middle of the night due to an emergency. You assumed that the Harkonnen invasion was an emergency so sudden and violent that he had no time to put it on.

The robe was silk and dark green with the Atreides emblem on the chest. You sat on the edge of the bed and put the doll down on your lap before taking the robe in your hands and squeezing it as you brought it to your face. It still faintly smelled like him. It smelled like your father.

You buried your face in the silk and closed your eyes, remembering his embrace. For a short while it was almost as if he was still there, holding you and telling you it would be alright.

But it wasn’t alright. It hadn’t been alright and his daughter had died. You couldn’t tell when it happened exactly. Had Princess Atreides die in that cell on the night before her wedding? Or when she had been locked up after the Baron had told her about going to Arrakis and killing her family? Or maybe she had died somewhere in the meantime. Perhaps when she had seen Feyd taking an innocent life for the first time. It was really hard to tell but she was definitely gone now.

You startled at the sound of someone entering the room without knocking. It was Feyd – no one else would dare to do that.

“I’ve been looking for you,” he said and froze at the sight of you holding your father’s robe. “Are you alright?”

“Yes,” you stood up and threw the robe on the floor as you picked the doll up. “Burn it,” you ordered. “And we’ll take a different room. They can clean up this one,” you approached him and handed him the doll in your hands. He took it, confused.

“What is this?” He asked.

“Our next child will be a daughter and you will give it to her when she is born,” you told him sternly.

He snorted at first but then he realised that you had been dead serious. The doll held lots of significance and meaning to you and he didn’t even have any idea how much you trusted him with it.

Feyd nodded his head after a long while and he looked down at the doll, awkwardly holding her in his pale hands.

“My Lady, what is your decision?” The servant knocked upon the door and joined you.

“I don’t want this room, clean it up,” you told him.

“Do you want a room next to your husband’s, na-baroness?” He asked.

“No, we will share one room,” you told him and he bowed down before leaving you quietly. “Unless you want your own,” you laid your eyes on Feyd.

“I want what you want.”

You were walking through the endless desert. It was like the oceans back on Caladan but instead of the water there was sand. The heat did not bother you and you did not feel tired at all. However, all this walking seemed pointless. You didn’t know where you were or where to go.

And then you spotted someone on the horizon. A tiny figure in a stillsuit and your heart skipped a beat. Was it one of the Fremen? You didn’t want to find out but your legs kept walking anyway as if you had no control over your body.

The figure remained motionless. After a while you spotted it was a man. You wondered why he was not reacting at all, seeing you walking towards him. Perhaps he was waiting for you. But why?

When you were close enough to see his face, you gasped. It was your brother, Paul Atreides, with his eyes blue from the spice, wearing a Fremen armour and he seemed to stare in the distance. Now you realised that he couldn’t see you even though you were facing him.

“Paul?” You asked as your body stopped walking with your face inches away from his. “Brother?”

He startled a little and furrowed his brows. Did he hear you…?

“Paul,” you said again and his eyes found yours.

“Sister,” his voice was different now. It was rough and held no affection. It made your blood run cold.

“What are we doing here?” You asked sadly. “Let’s go back home.”

“What is home now?”

“Caladan,” you explained.

“We cannot.”

You woke up abruptly and sat up, breathing heavily as you felt the sweat running down your spine and forehead. You had never experienced a dream so vivid and realistic as this one.

You assumed it was because of Arrakis. The heat could cause such a vision or perhaps it was all that buried deep down grief after losing your family. Being here now, in that palace where they had lived and died, it was making you feel odd.

Feyd woke up as well and you heard him reaching out for the knife underneath his pillow.

“It’s alright,” you told him. “I’ve just had a bad dream.”

“It’s your first night on Arrakis. Maybe it’s the spice messing with your head,” you felt his hand rubbing your back. “Lay down, come to me,” he whispered and you did.

You laid your head on his chest and hugged him tight like a scared child. Your heart was pounding and you felt dizzy. But you didn’t want to tell your husband what the dream was. He didn’t ask anyway.

On the next day you were gathered in a conference room. Everyone was there, the Baron and Count Rabban, too. You hoped that they would go back to Giedi Prime but it seemed like they wanted to stay and ensure that the spice production would go back to normal. You tried not to make a face at that as you watched the hologram globe of Arrakis in front of you on display.

“Shouldn’t the Fremen delegation greet the new Governor of Arrakis?” You asked.

“The Fremen do not have negotiations with us anymore. We are in the state of war, na-baroness,” one of the engineers answered you with a nod of his head.

“Let it be war, then,” you nodded back.

“What is causing the biggest problems?” Your husband asked as he gave his brother a contemptuous look. “Apart from the bad governing of the resources.”

“The Fremen have a new leader, a mysterious Muad’Dib,” The Baron explained and for some reason a shiver went down your spine at the mention of the name. You didn’t know why because it didn’t sound sinister or dangerous.

“And what about him?” Feyd asked. You could hear he was bored of the meeting and wanted real action as soon as possible.

“They are destroying our machinery and killing our soldiers, slowing down the production. He is unstoppable. Like a shadow,” Rabban explained and Feyd snorted at him.

“My big scary brother failed to deal with one Fremen savage,” he drawled. “Instead of slaughtering them all.”

“And what would our Baroness do?” The Baron interrupted Feyd and stared at you with a smirk. Suddenly, the whole room laid their eyes on you and you blinked a few times, surprised.

“Why would you ask a woman that?” Rabban inquired and Feyd hissed at him for that remark.

“Because I want to know her insight. Our Baroness happens to have interesting ideas,” Baron teased, his squinted eyes never leaving yours.

“I would oppose slaughtering the Fremen,” you stated.

“I’ve told you, she’s just a woman,” Rabban laughed.

“She is the Governess of Arrakis and your na-baroness and you will respect her,” Feyd barked.

“Enough!” You banged the fist on the table and the sound echoed through the chamber full of the Harkonnen servants and engineers widening their eyes at you. “Both of you!” You snapped. “Acting like children,” you scolded. “I am not the Governess of Arrakis, Feyd,” you laid your eyes on him and he looked a bit taken aback by your outburst. “That title does not work that way. You’re the Governor and I am your wife. However,” you looked at the Baron again. He was smirking all that time. “I do not think slaughtering them will bring us profit. They know the desert and the spice more than we do. We need them as obedient allies. But in order to have them as allies, we have to defeat them and their will to fight. We need to hit them with aggression that they have not yet seen nor experienced in their worst nightmares,” you raised your chin up.

“And that aggression is Feyd-Rautha,” Baron nodded at your husband.

“If we have negotiations with the Fremen in the future, I’d like to be there,” you announced and Rabban snorted. You knew that he did not mean these things personally, he was just frustrated that he was being replaced by his brother and seeing that an off-world woman was holding more influence than him had to be rough for his ego.

“What’s so funny, brother?” Feyd asked him and you rolled your eyes. They were at it again. “The only thing I find funny is how my wife has more brains than you.”

“And why is that funny?” You asked him, irritated.

“That is enough indeed,” Baron raised his hand. “We all have better things to do,” he announced and everyone bowed their heads as he left the room.

You watched your husband and his brother leaving right behind him, still having an argument like little children. Then you took a deep breath in and stood up to go back to Astra and Cara.

However, when you left the room, Feyd grabbed his brother’s neck and pushed him down on the floor. He basically threw him at your feet and you were surprised that he had managed it so easily since Rabban was a big and strong man.

“You will kiss her shoe and show your na-baroness respect,” Feyd ordered, “as you beg for her forgiveness.”

You looked down as Rabban looked up, scared. As much as it brought you some satisfaction to have a big, strong Harkonnen count who was called Beast Rabban at your feet, you felt sorry for him, too. 

“Feyd, there is no need,” you looked at your husband.

“No, there is, because I say so,” he insisted and kicked his brother’s head. “He will kiss your shoe or die.”

“I said, there is no need,” you repeated, more sternly this time. “Your brother is not my enemy like he is not yours either,” you pointed out. “Stand up, Count Rabban,” you ordered the man.

Carefully and hesitantly he moved up, trying to avoid looking into your eyes.

“You shall remember the kindness I have given you,” you told him and he nodded. “Now, leave.”

You watched him walk away as fast as possible and then you looked at your husband. He wasn’t pleased but he was trying to hide it. You could tell when he was angry very easily from his facial expressions by now.

“Do not torment him. He might be useful,” you told him.

“He will do anything to keep his pathetic head on. He’s got no honour,” Feyd snorted at that. “He would kiss anyone’s shoe if his life depended on it.”

“Then he is more like me than I have expected,” you only said and walked past him, leaving him behind, surprised.

“You are not like him,” Feyd followed you as he grabbed your wrist. “You have honour.”

“Do I?” You chuckled and turned around to face him. “I did everything to survive. It had nothing to do with honour. I became a Harkonnen instead of doing what my Atreides pride was telling me to do and that was to kill myself before letting any of you hurt me or change me.”

“It is different,” he was trying to deny your words. You were confusing him now.

“You also do not have honour, Feyd-Rautha. The way you used to fight drugged warriors in the arena. It has nothing to do with honour,” you reminded him as his jaw clenched. “And you know what? I don’t care,” you shrugged your arms. “My father, he was an honourable man. And look where it has gotten him. We are too cunning for honour.”

“We?” Feyd asked.

“The Harkonnens,” you explained and cupped his face to pull his head down and place a kiss upon his forehead. “Now, go, weren’t you supposed to terrorise the poor Fremen?”

He smirked at you and leaned in to place a hungry kiss upon your lips as his hand caressed your womb.

“Be careful, my darling, come back to me in one piece from the treacherous desert,” you bid him farewell and kissed him one last time before going back to your chambers.

Weeks had passed and the mysterious Muad’Dib remained uncaught, however the spice production came back to full efficiency. It was difficult to celebrate such victory, though, because you weren’t even sure if it was because of Feyd-Rautha being a good Governor or was it because of his uncle who still was present on Arrakis. Both him and Rabban. You wondered how things had been back on Giedi Prime – especially now, when all the important Harkonnens were on Arrakis.

You had your girls and your medic and much less nosy guards following you everywhere. The Arrakeen Palace was giving you lots of freedom and safety but it was also a much more boring place than the fortress on Giedi Prime. It was full of ghosts, too – you couldn’t stop thinking your family had been slayed in that very place.

You kept dreaming of Paul each and every night. It was making you feel weary and frustrated at this point. You didn’t want Feyd to know so you often would leave the bed quietly in the middle of the night and walk outside to sit on the balcony. There was something fascinating about the desert; it was so calm yet dangerous. By day it was too hot to just stare and admire but at night it was peaceful and with no one around to bother you.

Tonight you were standing and admiring the moon in your nightgown, with your hand caressing your swollen womb. It was getting bigger and bigger each day and you could feel the child move now. The medic assured you he was placed properly and growing healthy. You wondered if your son would be born on Arrakis.

“What’s wrong?” Feyd’s voice made you turn around. He was standing by the entrance to the balcony and staring at you.

“I can’t sleep,” you lied. You could but you didn’t want to. You didn’t want to dream of Paul.

“Again?” Feyd sighed and approached you. He stood behind you and leaned your body on his chest. It made you sigh out of relief and he placed his hands on your abdomen. “Perhaps the spice is doing you harm.”

“No, the medic would have noticed that,” you shook your head. “Perhaps it’s your son keeping me awake,” you made up a believable excuse and Feyd chuckled.

“And what are you doing here? Staring at the sand?”

“I don’t expect you to understand the beauty of the desert,” you teased. “But yes, the sand, the moon, everything.”

“When I will become the Baron, we will have a little tour and visit every planet under Harkonnen rule,” he whispered into your ear. “You will see many beautiful things, my darling pet.”

“And when will that be?” You snapped, frustrated. “In ten years? A hundred?” You snorted.

“What are you talking about?” Feyd took a step back and leaned on the railing to take a better look at your face but you remained staring in the distance.

“What is he still doing here? I thought Arrakis was ours. Yet, he is here and it feels as if we are being supervised. Meanwhile, Giedi Prime remains without protection,” you drawled through gritted teeth.

“If you were him, would you leave us two to each other?” Feyd asked.

“Are you by his side again?” You finally looked at him, angrily. “He gave you the planet to govern and you’re defending him again?”

“I am not defending him,” Feyd got angry, too, at your words. “But it is obvious why he stayed here. He knows we might be plotting. He needs to keep an eye on things.”

“I have already plotted,” you lowered your voice and went back to staring at the moon.

Feyd kept looking at you in silence for a while before he finally spoke up again.

“And what is that?”

“He shall be slayed by night alongside most of the guards and servants. We will say it was a nighttime assassination attack by Muad’Dib and his people. They targeted the Harkonnen nobility and you were too busy saving your pregnant wife to help your uncle,” you whispered.

“Everyone will know the truth, it's too obvious,” Feyd told you. “It's only giving us an alibi for those who want to believe in it.”

“Of course they will suspect what really happened but they will not care. You showed them your worth in the arena and you brought back the full efficiency of the spice production. The Harkonnen lords will give you a chance. I am sure they’ve already grown tired and weary of the Baron,” you kept convincing him.

“What if Muad’Dib suddenly decides to show up and deny?”

You sighed and looked at him again, furiously.

“Just admit that you don’t want him dead, because in some way I cannot understand… you love him,” you hissed at him.

“Love?” It was the first time you heard him use that word and it brought a chill down your spine. It sounded so off and scary when your husband said it out loud. “I don’t know what that pathetic feeling is,” he assured you.

“I can see that,” you raised an eyebrow at him and walked away to leave the balcony and go back to your bedroom.

You were hurt, angry and frustrated and it was starting to bring tears to your eyes but you didn’t want him to see that.

Your husband followed you to the bedroom. In the way his footsteps were even heavier than usual, you spotted his annoyance as well.

“What do you expect of me? You’re so impatient, woman,” he started once the doors closed behind him. “You want everything and you want it now. I said I’d do it, I swore I’d do it but you admitted yourself we have to wait longer. If he dies here at night, do you think the noble lords of Giedi Prime will accept that so easily?”

“Then slay the ones who refuse to accept you as the successor!” You turned around with the rage making your blood boil. “Slay everyone standing in our way, as you promised. Do you want our son to be born in a world that he is manipulating for his own gain? Do you want to be his dog following the orders for the next few years? I am tired of playing the games with him on his own chess board. I want to make my own game, my own rules, my own board!” You tried to keep your voice down in case someone would spy on you but it was difficult with all that anger pouring out of you.

In one swift move, Feyd grabbed your chin and squeezed your cheeks as he brought your face so close to his that your noses were rubbing each other. There was so much anger in his eyes that the old you would start trembling out of fear for her life but the new you didn’t even flinch.

“Keep your voice down, we will do it,” he spat out.

“No,” you mumbled. “You will do it. You’re the hand that slays,” you reminded him and he kissed you so hungrily that you became breathless.

“I still want to kill you sometimes,” he confessed between one kiss and another as he led you back to your bed and laid you down on the mattress. “Choke you, slit your pretty little throat, watch you squirm under me as you bleed to death.”

“Whatever turns you on, my darling,” you chuckled at him as he looked at you sternly.

“If I hurt you, I’d kill myself right after. I’m bound to you forever,” he confessed and you smiled gently.

You didn’t want to tease him that after all, he did know what love was. After all, he did feel it. But you knew that he’d hate being confronted with the truth.

“If something happened to you, I would want to die alongside you, too,” you told him. “You’re the only one I have and none of my ambitions matter without you by my side.”

It was true. You didn't want to rule alone. In fact, you didn't want to ever feel lonely in your life again.

You were sitting next to Paul and watching the sunset in silence. In your dreams you would always meet him in the desert. Nothing else seemed to exist on Arrakis in the dreamworld – except for you and him.

“Why do you haunt me?” You asked and laid your eyes on his angry face. He was always so angry these days.

You hated Paul from your dreams. He was different. There was no kindness and gentleness about him anymore. If you were supposed to be haunted by his ghost, you’d rather be haunted by the brother you had remembered instead.

“I am not here for you,” Paul snorted and you furrowed your brows. Then he looked down at your swollen womb and you instinctively protected it with your hands.

“What do you mean?” You gasped.

“The spawn inside you shares my blood on both sides,” he answered mysteriously, which confused you greatly but you decided not to give it a second thought. After all, it was just a dream. “No, it is not,” Paul smirked viciously at you, as if he was able to read your thoughts.

“Get up,” you heard Feyd’s rough voice as his hand shook your arm. You woke up abruptly and sat up, trying to calm yourself after the dream.

“What’s going on?” You asked and looked around the dark room.

“Come with me,” your husband looked very pleased with himself as he pulled you out of the bed.

“What are you–”

“Shh,” he put his finger over his mouth as he led you outside.

You gasped at the sight of the bodies scattered all over the corridor of the palace. Servants and guards with their throats slit, laying in poodles of their own blood.

“Have you done that?” You asked quietly and Feyd nodded. “My girls…” you gasped.

“I haven’t touched your pets,” he assured you and stopped in front of the doors leading to the Baron’s chambers.

“Have you killed him…?” You were both excited and terrified of the outcome if the answer was yes. But, most importantly, you were in shock.

“Not yet,” Feyd answered as he pushed the doors open in front of you.

Not sure what his words meant, you entered the chamber carefully and spotted the Baron on his bed, letting out loud and raspy breaths. His life support machinery was no longer attached to him; you assumed Feyd had decided to give him a slow death.

You looked at your husband and spotted a sadistic sparkle in his eye as he was visibly enjoying the sounds and the view. He put his arm around you and walked you closer to the Baron’s bed.

That old and sick man looked pathetic at that moment and for a short while you even felt sorry for him. His eyes widened even further at the sight of you as he raised one of his hands towards you but you took a step back.

You didn’t know what to expect of him on his deathbed. Some part of you craved for him to admit his defeat and name you a worthy successor of the Harkonnen throne. Some other part of you expected him to curse you and your whole bloodline, which would be quite justified.

However, you certainly did not expect the sheer desperation and debasement.

“P-please…” He could barely speak. “Please, help me,” he tried to reach out for you.

You didn’t feel sorry for him anymore. You felt disgusted.

“You’re a weakling,” you smirked at him. “You called my father weak but I am sure that he did not beg like a dog on his deathbed. I am sure he died with dignity.”

“Please, help me…” He coughed out. “Help me and I will make your son an Emperor…”

“I do not need you to make my son an Emperor,” you laughed with contempt. “I am to become The Baroness Harkonnen; commanding the largest army and possessing the biggest wealth in the galaxy.”

“F-Feyd, I was like a father to you…” He searched for his nephew’s cruel eyes now, giving up on asking for your compassion and pity. “My boy…”

“Like a father, you say,” Feyd drawled. “I couldn’t wait to kill you for so many years now.”

“Please…”

“Oh, shut him up, how long will it take for him to die?” You sighed with an eye-roll as Feyd nodded his head at you and grabbed the short knife attached to his hip.

“Farewell, dear uncle,” he smiled smugly as he slit the Baron’s throat.

You watched mesmerised, without even blinking. It felt like a dream more than reality.

“The Arrakeen Palace will be considered cursed for all the Barons and Dukes from now on,” you only said.

Without a word, Feyd dropped the blade and fell on his knees in front of you, pulling you close by your hips and burying his face in the fabric of your nightgown right where your womb was. You knew what he wanted. A praise, an approval, a blessing.

“My Baroness,” he breathed out.

“Stand tall, my Baron,” you caressed his head and he looked up. His eyes sparkled in the moonlight and you cupped his chin to caress his full lips with your thumb. “You’ve made me proud and happy, my darling,” you assured him. 

He nodded at you and collected the discarded blade from the floor. It was important not to leave any trace. You both went back to your chambers and laid down in bed, pretending to be asleep – too excited to actually be able to drift off. This time you didn’t feel guilty even a little bit like after the death of the harpies. This time it didn’t even feel like murder or taking another human being’s life. This time it felt like nothing but relief.

You watched the sunrise through the window with your head on your husband’s chest and his hand rubbing your back, waiting for the remaining servants’ screams to signal the beginning of the new era.

There were screams indeed. People were running, yelling, banging on your door. Both Feyd and you acted surprised and startled at the news but Astra and Cara had to be the only people in the palace who actually believed your story. The medic inspected the Baron’s body and started to wonder if it really had been Muad’Dib’s work since the cuts did not remind of the Fremen weapons. Feyd only hissed at him so the medic stopped any further insinuations.

Count Rabban’s behaviour surprised you the most as he was following his brother around and seeming to act like the most loyal and obedient subject. He had quickly realised it was the best chance of survival for him. He hadn’t questioned anything so far and simply followed every word leaving his younger brother’s mouth.

Everything was a mess and chaos on that day but it was mostly Feyd dealing with it, basking in his new title and glory, as you were sitting on your bed with terrified Astra and Cara, holding them both and assuring them of their safety.

“How can you not be worried, na-baroness? I mean, Baroness?” Astra widened her eyes. “If Muad’Dib was here last night… Oh, I don’t even want to imagine what would happen if he went inside your chambers instead…”

“My husband would defend me,” you kissed her forehead and then you kissed Cara’s.

“What if he comes back?” Cara was shaking out of fear and you felt bad for making them feel like this but you couldn’t tell them the truth. “Now, when they know that we have fewer guards around?”

“We will be prepared this time,” you squeezed their hands. “My girls, I am sorry for being insensitive but I shall get dressed in mourning attire now and finally join my husband to help him with the officialties.”

Every lady travelled with a mourning dress just in case. Yours was a combination of black silk and black armour pieces with chains, connected to the matching headpiece. It looked dignified and intimidating – exactly how you wanted it to look like. You had already dreamt of The Baron’s death while planning your trip. Therefore the mourning dress you had chosen was accurate to your new role of The Baroness.

It sounded so good. For the upcoming days you would get drunk on the way people would address you. And then, when you'd finally be back on Giedi Prime, there would be a lavish celebration and official event for you two becoming the new Baron and Baroness. You couldn't wait for that day.

You smiled to yourself in the mirror and fixed the headpiece for one last time as you adjusted the Atreides signet ring on your pinky finger. On your pointing finger there was a huge ring with the Harkonnen emblem. And hidden between the folds of your dress and attached to the armour piece on your hip was the blade your husband had given you on the day of his birthday. No one could see it but you could reach for it swiftly in the case of emergency.

You joined Feyd in the conference room and everyone straightened at the sight of you. They always would but this time it felt different. You were the one holding the power – and they respected you for you, not for the fact that you were under protection of The Baron.

“Baroness,” they bowed down and went back to work, avoiding your gaze.

“How are things going?” You approached Feyd as he looked you up and down with a smirk. You put your hand on his chest.

“I sent Rabban back on Giedi Prime with our uncle’s body,” he told you and held your hand to lay a kiss upon it. “He will take care of the affairs there until we finish our business on Arrakis. I want to take care of that Muad’Dib rat before returning home and finding someone worthy to replace me as the Governor here. Rabban will also send us more Harkonnen troops since we have lost many guards last night,” he informed you in an official manner.

“We must avenge our late Lord Baron,” you clenched your jaw as you nodded. His eyes sparkled with mockery as he pretended to look worried.

You were sure that most people in that room had known the truth but they kept their poker faces on and allowed you to play out this little scene.

“My Lord,” one of the engineers raised his voice, concerned. Feyd turned around and you both stared at the hologram of the Arrakis globe. Red dots started to appear on the orbit. “We have guests,” the engineer explained. “The ships are definitely not ours.”

“Who is it?” Feyd barked at him. “Find that out, we are not expecting anyone,” he looked at you, a little concerned.

You were not pleased with the idea of guests now, out of all times, either. 

“Who dares to interrupt our peace unannounced on the day after our late Lord Baron’s tragic death?” You asked out loud, playing your mourning role the best you could.

What a mockery it was that you had to be hiding all the grief after your actual family but had to display fake tears for the man you had hated with every fibre of your being.

“M-my Lord, my Lady…” the engineer turned around with his eyes widened, “it’s the Emperor himself… The whole imperial delegation.”

You and Feyd looked at each other.

“It took them days to get here. There is no way they are here because of last night’s incident,” Feyd pointed out. “Still, I do not understand. I have brought the spice production back to full efficiency. What could be the reason for his visit?”

You moved uncomfortably as your son kicked your rib. As if he too knew of the importance of this sudden imperial audience. It would be the first time you’d greet someone of such importance as The Harkonnen Baroness and it would be the first time you’d see the Emperor face to face. He had visited your father a few times on Caladan but children had not been allowed near their meetings.

“We have to greet him and find out,” you took a deep breath in, preparing yourself mentally for the first challenge in your new role.

You shot Feyd a glance and he nodded at you, reassuringly. With him by your side, it couldn’t go that bad, you tried to convince yourself. His presence was equipping you with courage and determination you had not known before.

Everything you were doing now, you were doing for the two of you and your future. Nothing else mattered.

MASTERLIST

#dune x reader #dune fanfic #dune imagine #feyd rautha x reader #feyd rautha fanfic #feyd rautha imagine #feyd rautha harkonnen x reader #feyd rautha harkonnen fanfic #feyd rautha harkonnen imagine #austin butler x reader #lilysfiction #tttw

[tamayakii]

Their Angel. Yan!HOTD x Reader

I've been having so many thoughts about yandere house of the dragon x reader, how the 3 big houses (Targaryen, Velaryon & Hightower) would fight for the darlings' affection. Platonic, Familial or romantic. I feel like they would, of course, all fight over what colours you would wear, what house you represent until a very annoyed and exhausted council member suggested white.

"like an angel," Viserys adds, it was said that the gods had sent you down to bless them so dressing you in white seemed the best option... but that didn't stop them from gifting you jewellery that had the colours of their house.

The Hightower jewellery had the most expensive Jade and Emerald on top of gold, these pieces can range from delicate rings to big statement necklaces that encompass your neck. Alicent prefers to give you these gifts in person, alone, perhaps in her or your chambers. Presenting you with the beautifully engraved box as she opens it, showing you a new necklace with a beautiful dark green emerald. Otto's gifts never cease to awe you in how quiet that man is in his actions, a small indiscreet box upon your pillow when you ready for bed. Inside lays a note, upon which Otto describes the moment he found this beautiful ring and knew he must get it for you, the handwriting almost as beautiful as the peridot ring you now proudly wear on your pinkie.

The Targaryen jewellery is almost always extravagant, having connections to get you the best out of everything. Viserys gifts you capes, crowns and veils but unlike the others, he almost always keeps them in white, unless they have jewels. His favourite thing to see you in is crown veils, the jewellery hanging down and framing your face makes you seem like you stepped down from heaven's gate. When Aemma was still around, she gifted you rings and earrings, she wasn't able to give you much before she passed in childbirth. So you hold these gifts quite dearly to your heart, always sporting the dark ruby red ring on your thumb, twisting it when you get nervous. Rhaenrya, oh dear Rhaenrya, she wanted everyone to know that you belong to the Targaryens. To the Blood of The Dragons, her first gift to you was a cloak clasp that show two dragons on each side, her second gift was a crystal bracelet that had a chain connecting to a ring, it was a simple design but by the gods it made you feel exquisite. There was one gift that set the nail in the coffin, it was a gift from Rhaenrya and Aemma, a dragon that wrapped around your neck. Signifying the hold that House Targaryen has on you.

The Velaryon jewellery is often pearls or other sea gemstones as they sit on driftmark and have a hand over the trading routes, Rhaenys upon her second meeting of you, gifting you a pearl ring slipping upon your finger herself. Corlys gifted you a relic that was been with the Veleryons for ages on your first birthday with them, the beautiful necklace made with blue topaz, moonstones and blue chalcedony, wrapped beautifully with Valeryon silver. Vaemond... never was quite as fond as you as his brother and sister-in-law were, you were no Targaryen or Velaryon but for small moments he forgot that and adored your sweet smile.

I would love to draw male and female outfits of what this au's darling would look like, i can also do a part two of the other things the other characters would give you as i excluded a lot as to not make this any longer than it is. Should i make a fic with this idea? pls send me an ask if you're interested in this au

#yandere house of the dragon #house of the dragon x reader #hotd x reader #yandere hotd #yandere headcanons #yandere scenarios #yandere x darling #yandere targaryen #yandere velaryon #yandere hightower #yandere hotd x reader #otto hightower x reader #alicent hightower x reader #Aemma Targaryen x reader #Viserys targaryen x reader #Rhaenrya Targaryen x reader #Corlys Velaryon x reader #Rhaenys velaryon x reader #vaemond velaryon x reader

[jacesbeloved]

prettiest of them all

summary: being rhaenyra's lady-in-waiting ever since your mother passed, it was unfathomable that you and jace spent time with each other. however, until when can he restrict himself to just looking at you and treating you as a friend?

pairing: jacaerys velaryon x fem!reader

notes: mild nsfw, wrote this since i'm kind of hitting a writing slump and i don't want to rn so yea wrote this on a whim again 😭 i hope y'all like it,, my peace offering after "remember me, always"

notes #2: also, if it's sort of confusing, basically ur mother is nyra's bestfriend. you and jace were basically born a year apart (jace is older) so when your mother passed, nyra took u under her wing and u and jace are basically childhood sweethearts <3

"I doubt anyone in the seven kingdoms can match your beauty, princess." You pause abruptly, "Or should I say... queen?" The two of you giggle with each other as you lock the necklace on the back of Rhaenyra's head.

The woman steps back from you and looks at her reflection in the mirror, turning slowly. You watched in awe as the woman, who was once as young as you are now, readied herself for the crowning in front of the masses.

When she finishes looking around, Rhaenyra turns to you.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready as well, Y/N?" She asks.

Your forehead creased, and you took a short glance at your statute before turning back at Rhaenyra. "Princess... I'm already dressed," you chuckle lightly at her.

"That isn't the dress I had tailored for you, Y/N," she playfully glares at you, walking to her drawer before grabbing something. You watched with anticipation as you heard the clanking of jewelry inside.

She pulls a beautiful ruby gemstone from it, beautifully placed in the middle of a Valyrian steel chain. You blink three times, your throat drying, when she starts walking over to you.

Rhaenyra saw the confused look on your face, which made her chuckle. "Calm down, Y/N, it's just a small gift."

"B-but... princess-" Rhaenyra shushes you, showing you the necklace up close. "Y/N, your mother was one of the people I hold closest to my heart."

"And when you were just a babe, you were always with me. When she left the world, I took you under my wing and treated you as my own.... Just as I had promised her." She sighs, pursing her lips as she sees your face drop a bit.

She runs her hand through your hair, "As your future queen, as your princess, I command you to accept this necklace. Wear it later, during my crowning." Rhaenyra places the piece of jewelry softly on the palm of your hand. Covering your hand with hers as she cradled your hand.

You turned to look deeply at the princess, lips apart as you nodded, placing your hand on top of hers as well.

"Very well, my future queen." The light-haired woman tenderly smiles at you before withdrawing her hands. "I... I hope you know that I am forever in your debt, Aunt Rhaenyra."

"It's nothing, really, Y/N. Now go change into your dress, I sent someone that would help you put it on." You nod at the older's statement as you were dismissed, a sly smile on her face.

You had walked quickly back to your quarters, excited to see the dress. The necklace was inside of a box that Rhaenyra had also given you, making sure that it wouldn't move much and cause damage as you were skipping through the halls of the Red Keep.

When you arrived in your room, there was a new hanger by your cabinet. You smile giddily, running to the hanger and pulling off the coat only to see such a beautiful dress in red, with laced red lantern sleeves and an off-shoulder neckline where the ruby necklace would sit nicely.

You didn't need someone to help you; with how ecstatic you were about wearing the dress, you wore it as soon as you saw it.

The dress slipped right on, perfectly fitting in everything. It hugged your chest area nicely, and its length was perfect. You could easily tell that Rhaenyra truly did take note of your measurements and style.

When you looked at yourself in the mirror, it was like the air in your body was knocked out of you. You looked so pretty, so elegant.

As you twirled around the mirror, a voice spoke.

"Pardon me for entering your room, but... the strap's a bit twisted," your body turned quickly, eyes narrowing as you were greeted by the princess' son,

Jacaerys.

He smiled tightly as he walked over to you, closing the door. "May I?"

You watched him with awestruck eyes as you nodded, seeing him dressed perfectly, feeling his fingertips on your skin as he fixed the strap on your dress.

"There," he breathes out. Jace walked forward before looking back at you, getting a full view of you in your dress.

The prince himself was already dressed. Clothed in the finest leather of the seven kingdoms, the sigil of House Targaryen incorporated into his outfit as he looked immaculate. Not much was changed in his hair, only that it was curled a bit like Lucerys'.

"Did you hear what I said, Y/N?" You hear his chuckle as you snap out of your trance.

When he sees the unaware look on your face, he laughs. "I said, you look pretty. Very. Possibly the prettiest in the whole seven kingdoms."

Your cheeks heat up at the sudden compliment, looking away from him and heading to your dresser.

"Your mother's the prettiest, my prince," you reply with a laugh, powdering your face. The sides of Jace's lips rise before he walks over to you.

"Well, I believe that I am allowed to exempt my own mother, don't I, Y/N?"

"Of course," you glare at him, his lips stretching into a teasing smile as his eyes catch onto the all-too-familiar jewelry box, knowing full well what's inside of it.

He unclasps the small lock on it, opens it, and turns to you. The two of you stare silently at the necklace before he pulls it out of the box.

You gulp nervously when you see him walk behind you, keeping his eyes fixated on your neck through the mirror. "Such a pretty neck," he thought.

"D'you know... that these types of necklaces," you hiss as the cold metal is placed onto your neck, Jace's hands feather-like as he maneuvered it skillfully. "Are incredibly strong?"

"They're a staple necklace of my family, red jewels and valyrian steel. Expertly crafted to withstand various things and experience a lot as well. Our ancestors used to wear it amidst battles; Queen Visenya, an example." He explained further. The lock of the necklace clicked upon his movement.

Your fingers touched the jewels on your neck in a cautious manner, not wanting to damage them. You glanced at Jace, seeing him watch you with his arms behind his back, his eyes trailing up and down your figure as his breath hitched when he locked eyes with you.

"Gods, has anyone already told you that you look incredible right now?" He breathes out, mouth agape, as he only registers how you look now.

The compliment makes you giggle like a young girl being teased by her crush.

"Oh, someone already has. It's like he likes me," you frown, faking innocence as you acted like you were thinking. The man in front of you slowly caught on to what you were trying to say.

"I think he does. I think he really, really does." Jace nods, practically confessing his feelings for you in such a discreet manner that it just makes your stomach fill with emotions.

A small smile comes to your lips as you step forward to look the prince in the eye. You beckoned him to lean down to you, Jace's eyebrows raising a bit in surprise before he complied.

You stood on your tiptoes, "I think... I like him as well."

Jace suddenly feels his whole body stop to think about what you just said. He blinks a bit, staring at your face—which basically lit up the room more than any other candle.

His mouth opened to speak, but no words came out; he was speechless.

The two of you have known each other since a child, having been with their family for as long as Jace could remember and being his long-time crush ever since your mother and Rhaenyra had introduced both of you to each other as a child.

And you felt the same. Every bit of feeling that Jace had for you all those years, you had for him as well.

Years of pining, of discreet flirting, of subtle touches—here you both are now.

"So does that mean- I'm uh, I'm your... " You scoff at the man's stammering, pulling him close by his collar and kissing him on the cheek. "Yes, Jacaerys."

He looks at you with wide eyes before he sighs, letting his instincts take over as he pulls you even closer by your waist, softly touching your lips with his. You smile a bit into the kiss, letting him take control of the kiss.

You felt his hands fall from your waist to your hips, squeezing the soft flesh before he pushes his body weight onto yours, backing you up until you hit the edge of your dresser.

The way Jace's tongue swiped and moved inside your mouth was skillful, as if he had lots of time in Dragonstone to practice for this very moment. He angled his head, using his hands to caress your face as he licked your lip, biting lightly on it.

Your hands gripped his biceps as you pulled away breathlessly, finding his hands right by your sides. His eyes darken as he opens them; your lips parted, panting for air, and your eyes were just as lust-blown as his; the sight was far from what he had imagined. It was better, much more erotic.

You felt something press against your thigh, something hard. Jace licked his lips before swallowing harshly.

"How much time do we have before my mother's crowning?" He asks, running his hand behind you as he takes note of the strings that tie your dress.

You inhaled sharply, your hands coming onto his chest as you held one of the buckles of his top.

"Twenty minutes, I think." You sighed, shrugging at him. He smirked at that, nodding at you before the strings of your dress suddenly loosened, the prince in front of you descending to his knees.

"Well then, let's make this fast, yeah?"

hearts, reactions, replies, and reblogs are very appreciated if you liked the story! <3 ^w^

jace taglist: @cosmicfairygirl @simrah1012 @lucerysvelaryonstan @lady-stark-winter-rose @moon1gt @aureliapappa @jcrsctrl @bobfloydluvsblackwomen @m4nd0l0r

#hotd #jacaerys imagines #jacaerys velaryon #jacaerys velaryon fic #jacaerys x reader imagine #jacaerys fluff #jacaerys x reader #jacaerys targaryen #hotd fics #jacaerys smut #jacaerys velaryon x reader fic #jacaerys fic

[phantasmiac]

civilian touya who has an awkward relationship with his family. puts the civil in civilian. he got all his angst and rage out of his system during his teenage years, and enji’s been on a self improvement journey for some time now. things should be good now — but he only visits home once every two months (sometimes even less often) and no phone call with him ever lasts any longer than five minutes (unless you’re natsuo. then you get an extra five). and no matter how hard fuyumi or rei attempt to pry on the occasions he does join them at the dinner table, whatever he’s been up to recently is still a mystery for the most part by the time he leaves. touya loves his family, because loving unconditionally is just in his nature. but he spent so much time being angry and pushing them away during his teenage years that he doesn’t really know them anymore — and he can’t bring himself to trust people he doesn’t know.

civilian touya who randomly brings home his hot tattooed gf one day. rei’s eyes are sparkling as she laughs and chats with you, hand resting over your own in that warm motherly way. and the whole time enji’s sat like a fucking statue with an unreadable expression on his face that makes him look constipated. he’s trying so hard not to say oh brother 🙄 so this is what touya’s gotten himself into. he hasn’t gotten to the chapter about conservatism in his self help book. he doesn’t say anything because everyone seems to really like you and touya’s been watching you and his mom talk with a fondness that’s lowkey causing cracks in his stone cold heart. but secretly, he’s betting that this relationship isn’t gonna make it touya’s next visit.

civilian touya who brings you over again…. and again…. and again. enji’s so bewildered and stressed at the fact that he was wrong it’s comical. and he has yet to voice his concerns to anyone else bc he doesn’t want to look like an asshole so he just has this ongoing bet with the voice inside his head that you and touya are going to break up any minute now. everyone else has joined touya in being infatuated with you because you’re great — but also because touya’s now started to visit more often and there’s a constant grin on his face that they haven’t seen since he was a little boy. and enji swears he won’t fall for your little tricks! he’s absolutely livid when a chuckle escapes him at a juvenile joke you made. scandalized by the fact that he’s a little curious about the meaning behind one of your tattoos — you’re not gonna get him to ask 😡

civilian touya who announces that you’re five weeks pregnant a year and a half into your relationship. rei cries. because she’s going to be a grandma, of course, but also because he actually chose to share the news with them instead of suddenly disappearing to some foreign country to raise a family in secret — something she’s convinced the touya before you would have done just to avoid being open with them. and enji, thinks this might just be his aha! moment. having a baby this soon, out of wedlock? bound to fall apart. for once, he hopes he’s wrong.

civilian touya who has one hand stabilizing the smiley, toothless baby girl sitting on his lap and the other holding your left, thumb rubbing the aquamarine gemstone on your ring finger. enji watches his firstborn dote on his own and silently reminisces the first few months of touya’s life. he remembers being full of love for someone for the first time in his entire life, and being terrified; it was all more than he knew what to do with. touya seems to know exactly what to do with it all when he coos at his two girls. love was never a challenge for him — just finding somewhere to place it.

★ a/n: i wrote this with the panel from 388 in mind and that’s the ONLY reason shouto isn’t mentioned. ily bby it’s not what it looks like

#dabi x reader #dabi drabble #dabi headcanons #dabi #dabi imagine #dabi x y/n #dabi fluff #dabi angst #dabi fanfic #touya todoroki x reader

[wonder-mei]

Tough man loves his wife (MK1 Kuai Liang)

Author's note; reminder this is not a lore accurate to the Mortal Kombat universe. I write because they're hot. I also do no have beta reader or i read my fan fic from top to bottom to see any errors. I'm lazy okay.

Everyone knows that Kuai Liang and Bi-han have similar characteristics but the younger one has sympathy inside of him,always by his adopted brother’s side and isn’t too stoic to other people. Everyone knows that Kuai Liang will have a family of his own but they never expected he will devote his life to his wife and children. 

Today he did a mission of helping the neighbouring village to slaughter invaders. He killed every invader without mercy just like they did to the innocent villagers. Covered in blood but not a single wound on him. Ever since his brother’s betrayal, Kuai Liang has trained himself to be stronger and stealthy, resulting in him not getting hurt in any battle and fights. 

Before he enters his home. He takes a shower outside the house. Washes every blood on him and wears fresh comfortable clothing for staying in his house. He has done this countless times; taking a bath from a mission and already having fresh clothes he placed every time before he went on a mission because he will be drenching in blood and sweat. He doesn’t want to enter his house like that.

After done cleaning himself. He enters his house without making a sound, thinking his family is already asleep. It’s very late at night. He slowly slid open the door to the master bedroom. His eyes land on an awakened woman sitting in front of her large cosmetic mirror carved from the finest wood in the land. She is combing her hair with the rarest jade comb he gifted from a raid he had months ago. Kuai Liang approaches his wife and sits behind her taking the jade comb from her hand then comb her hair. The wife smiles at her husband's arrival and affection which he always gives her every minute they’re together.

“Welcome home,husband-of-mine”

“I have returned,wife-of-mine. Why you’re not asleep yet?” He delicately combed her hair,admiring every strand. 

“I’m not tired yet. And” she turns to him with a smile “I’m waiting for you” she leans into her husband embracing him.

“I told you not to wait for me if i’m still not home at midnight” Kuai Liang smiles back at her stroking her hair. 

“I know but it won’t hurt to wait for husband-of-mine home right?”

Kuai Liang chuckles “Not at all. Thank you. Now turn back to the mirror. I want to continue brush your hair”

She turns back and Kuai Liang continues combing her hair. His other hand fishes hair oil out from his pocket then applies them in her hair.

“This smells new.Where did you get it?”

“An elderly woman gave this to me for saving the village. It is made from ginseng,very good for your hair” he brush her hair until the oil covers her hair 

“Oh” she holds her front hair to feel the texture “Feels much better than before. I love it”

“Really? Then i will buy this every month” 

The wife smiles at her husband’s promise. Kuai Liang swiftly wears a set of gemstones that complement her true beauty “I saw a seller in that village who mines gemstones around China. He gave me a good offer on these earrings. The second i laid my eyes on this gemstone,i think of you” 

The wife smiles more admiring the new gift her husband gave her. Tilting from side to side to admire them “They’re lovely,Kuai Liang” she hugs him tightly receiving a chuckle from him

“Let me see you” he holds her face staring at her. His thumbs strokes her cheeks admiring his own wife. The couple looks into each other eyes smiling together but then–

“Oh no. She’s awake” they both turn to a crying infant who was sleeping soundly on their bed. Kuai Liang with a big smile approaches his daughter. He gently holds the crying child but stops when she noticed her father is carrying her

“I think she’s jealous of you getting the attention” He teases his wife, “Very quick to get jealous just like her own mother”

“Hey!” she hits him pouting at him

The baby laughs at her mother hitting her father. Two sets of footsteps come storming into the room with a loud “Father!”

“Quiet boys. Don’t wake up the whole clan” their mother warns the twins but they didn’t listen. Launching themselves into their father like monkeys, “Look at these two rascals. Doesn’t listen just like their father” 

Kuai Liang laughs “I really can’t deny that”, he looks at his sons climbing on him but aware of their baby sister is in his arms asking loudly to their father about the mission 

“Boys! Let your father rest!” she warns again “Go back to your room now”

“Awww” the twins said in disappointed tone at the same time

“Let’s sleep together tonight. Sounds great right?”

The twins nod in excitement “YES!”. They both jump into the king sized bed ready to sleep. If they want to sleep

“You’re putting them to sleep” she pouts, watching their twins being hyperactive late at night. She takes their baby from him and walks to their bed. “Xiayi, Ruofei. Lay down!”

Kuai Liang watches his family being chaotic as they always are. A life he never thought he would get after years being betrayed by his own brother. His family is his beacon. To live,to fight and to have a peaceful life for them. 

a/n; my bestie wants a fan fic where there's kids. bleh here you go

#mortal kombat x reader #kuai liang x reader #scorpion x reader #kuai liang #mk scorpion

[brights-place]

Hi!

I saw your Barb x wife post (very cute), could you do a Riff x husband reader?

(I promise this will be the last time I ask for Riff stuff, probably)

Riff X Husband! S/O

Pairings: Riff X Reader

Warnings: Fluff, mild cursing, THE GAYS ARE GAYING YAYYY!

A/N: I got so happy with this request and wrote this down so fast since I was checking my inbox!

Barb introduced you two to each other 7 in an half years and you and riff had been together for longer about 9 years running he proposed to you 3 years ago. You knew how Riff wad awkward sometimes and how he does little drum stick tricks to impress you or would play drum versions of your favorite songs and ask you to guess the beat. When he was gonna propose to you he played the 'here comes the bride' but in drums and you didn't guess what it was but said it was cool yet you didn't know what it was at all. You two were at the rooftop staring out at the night sky as the candle is warm light shined where you both laid as Riff got up and stold you t turn around which he did and you gasped seeing him on an knee with an Silver engagement ring with your birth gemstone on it which made you smiled as Riff spoke in an shaky voice "Okay I know we have been dating for so long but... I've been planning on how to do this and it's very hard!" riff said chuckling hiding deeper into his beanie "(name) You have been by my side through the toughest of storms, shining like a beacon in the darkest night. You have shown me that true beauty lies beyond the stars, and I want to share that with you for all eternity. Will you spend every night gazing into my eyes for as long as we shall live? Will you stay with me as we journey through the unknown with a never ending spark of love? (Name)" Riff took an sharp inhale as you teared up slightly "Will you marry me and be my husband (name)?" Riff said looking away as you smiled nodding quickly tackling him to the floor and kissing him deeply

You pulled away as he held you close tearing up “Knarly dude…” You giggled “damn right” You said kissing riffs face as he blushed. Once you two came back inside you were met by King Thrash and barb ho were smirking and congratulating you two for getting engaged and soon planned together an wedding sitting side by side as you two talked about different things for the weddings.

Currently you two where wondering where exactly it would be hosted “It could be hosted on where we first met?” Riff suggested as you hummed thinking to yourself “We met at an pub plus I wanted to invite our friends from outside of volcano rock city our temperature here is much different were use to it but they might not be” “Oh good idea!” you giggled cupping riffs face taking off his beanie which made his hetochromia eyes stare at you lovingly as kiss you back as he pulled away "I Love you" "Love you too"

The day of your wedding you were freaking out fanning your face as you were in the dressing room wearing your suit. It was a black leather jacket with a white shirt and black tie featuring silver embroidered roses, lightning bolts, and music notes. The jacket has a few rips and tears, revealing a layer of white lining beneat it. The shoulders were padded with cotton foam, filling it out slightly. The suit itself is somewhat worn, the edges darkened with shadows and dirt. The pants are made of black leather, with a few creases lining the seams. The shoes are black leather, but scuffed around the heels. You were panicking as Barb slapped your back making you yelp as she laughs "Don't worry Riff is also scared since its the first time he will be showing his eyes infront of an crowd and well He's marrying you" Barb laughed when you blushed "Your right!" After barb eft you checked yourself in the mirror before heading to the Altar. The wedding ceremony was a perfect mesh of elegance and rock 'n roll theme. The rock 'n roll themed wedding was a perfect mix of elegance and rock 'n roll vibes.

It decorated with edgy yet classy rock 'n roll accents. The venue was decorated with dramatic black walls, featuring white accents and gold details. The venue was completely transformed into a vibrant and fun rock 'n roll theme, featuring colorful stage lighting, edgy punk rock decorations, and musical elements such as vintage rock instruments and neon lights. The tables were adorned with dramatic black table cloths and edgy black tablescape decorations, making for a perfect venue for rock 'n roll lovers.

An altar had an mix of your favourite flowers and riffs favourite wilted flowers together as you stood at the altar while Riff stood at the other end staring down the aisle with a nervous look. You saw riffs suit The suit was a dark and faded black in coloring, as the fabric had been dyed to achieve that specific faded look. It was fitted snugly to the man's body, revealing his fit and toned physique that looked as if it had been sculpted by the gods themselves. The collars was high and round, reminiscent of an old, punk-rock style that had been done before. A few buttons were left undone, revealing his slightly ripped shirt. While his beanie had an black ripped veil in front of it as he walked to the Alter “Your beautiful” you two say in sync before giggling at each other as the pastor spoke telling the basics as as always before motioning for You to start with Your vows as you gulped and spoke nervously "Riff, as I stand here, with my heart overflowing with love, I am reminded of the beauty and uniqueness of our journey together. From this moment forward I promise you this..." You took an sharp inhale before staring at Riff You couldn't help but smile and look to teh crowd and back to Riff "I promise to love you in a way that is as unique and beautiful as the love we've built together. Our love is a master piece in my eyes unlike your drums." Riff gasped dramatically jokingly as you two laughed "but yes our love is a master piece in my eyes painted with the brushstrokes of our laughter. our shared dreams and the countless moments that have brought us here. I vow to be your wavering support and your safe harbor. In your presence I've found the courage to be the best version of myself and I will forever be the wind beneath your wings propelling you to reach new heights. With you, I've found a love that is both unique and beautiful, a love that is intricately woven into the fabric of my soul. I choose you, not just as my partner, but as my muse, my best friend, and the one who makes my world rocking! I Today and forever I give you my heart and my soul, and the promise of a unique and beautiful love story that will continue to unfold chapter by chapter I love you, in ways that word can only begin to describe is amazing" Riff smiled at you as you smiled back as Riff spoke up “Well damn it’s just like when I propose to you I’m so nervous… I can’t even believe I’m saying it out loud cause I know I’m gonna be made fun of by Barb” Barb shouted from the front row seat "FUCK YEAH I AM! GET SOME RIFF!" Riff sighed softly "(name) I promise to always be there for you, to listen and understand you, and to love and accept you as you are. I commit myself to our relationship and to growing and building a strong foundation together, with trust, respect and communication. I vow to honor your wishes and strive to meet your needs, and to always support and respect you. We will face challenges together as a team, and work to always overcome them, hand in hand... even though you annoy the shit out of me aswell I love you" You both soon started to tear up “How do straight people do this without crying?!” You complained as Riff laughed in agreement. The pastor smiled handing you two your drumsticks and your rings which you traded and gave eachother

You both were wearing a skeleton ring with you having a Obsidian that was cracked and contained inside your birth stone and and Riff having an obsidian that was cracked and inside held ruby as the pastor soon spoke “You may now kiss the groom!” You may or may not have grabbed riff by the waist dipping him to the floor and kissing him happily with an large smirk as others cheered while rock n roll trolls screamed doing the rock symbol with you and riff doing the same while kissing each other happily as riff eyes opened showing his hetochromica eyes that stared at you lovingly "I Love you" "Love you too" you both say smiling

reblogs + comments are appreciated ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

©brights-place 2023 — do not repost on another platform, copy, translate or edit my works! if you fit my DNI list please don't interact

#fluff #headcannons #x reader #trolls #trolls world tour #dreamworks trolls #fliff trolls #trolls band together #trolls riff #riff #riff trolls #trolls fanfiction #trolls fanfic #trolls movie #trolls world #Riff X Reader #Trolls Riff

[skelekins]

Swapfell Facet - Sans (gemStone)

Rough Concepts (with a Muffet ;A; cause I love her and need to set aside some time for her sometime. Shes about 15-20ft tall UwU)

Decided as Stone for his nickname.

Some info to go with his bro. Ive had a bit more trouble with him obviously. I have many notes on these nerds but Ill try to keep it briefish.

His armor is his royal guard kit. Because their world lacks in metals his armor is made from crystal, with the facets done in a way to deflect blows. This also results in his armor being extremely heavy.

Sans is highly leveled and is close to 10ft tall, more than double his brother's height. He's fiercely protective of Papyrus and basically has devoted his life to his brother's safety. He likes to brag about Papyrus but only to others in Snowdin. He tries not to let anyone know Papyrus exists past Waterfall for safety reasons.

His more purple outfit is a concept for when hes younger/at home. He joined up with Muffets crew and works second to her (he is also second in guard. He likes not being in top charge since it gives him certain freedoms). Despite working with the guard he still works with Muffet. Legally he's in charge over Snowdin, but realistically Muffet is.

Sans' magic is erratic and unweidly as a side effect of his high level and also for posturing. Its not uncommon for him to have sparks of magic around him. When he activates Papyrus' shortcut you know he's coming because it feels like lightning is about to strike.

Due to the excess magic/LV spikes he has to burn it off regularly. As it builds up inside him his body trembles more which frustrates him. He'll wear his gauntlets for the last week or so before he takes care of the problem, since the weight keeps his hands from trembling.

Has manic moments and when fighting others / hyped up he will drool excess magic.

He's less skilled with trap magic than his brother is but he's far better at gravity magic. He's developed his own style of traps that combine the two: areas of kneeling and repelling. Kneeling causes whats on the tin, you won't be able to stand due to the pressure until the trap is released. Repelling won't let you in and if you try hard enough you'll be expelled with the same force.

The green scarf was a concept for something Papyrus may have given to him after learning silkweaving from the spiders.

Tassels are a symbol of Muffet's crew.

:) thanks for reading

(ps I almost called him Indigo but theres a Swapfell Indigo and I thought that'd be confusing. For fun though: if he meets others he'd go by Indigo as a joke for the other colour names, but he chooses (gem)Stone to match his brother.

#undertale au #swapfell facet #gemstone sans #skelekins art #rough concept #fan skeleton #fan sans #this is the last of my predrawn stuff i think haha #hes a big big boy #and i wanted to share him #because all my other lads are small

[alavestineneas]

Nothing we can do

pairing: Finnick Odair x fem!reader

summary: Finnick Odair hates everything about the Capitol and has every right to do so. But what if there was someone who made it a little more complicated?

warnings: mentions of rape, typical hunger games violence

chapter 1 -> chapter 2 -> chapter 3

''Mister Odair, what a pleasure seeing you in such a cheerful spirit! I hope I don't ruin it with my presence, will I?''

Finnick wanted nothing more than to agree with a man, but instead, he politely smiled. ''Never, President Snow.''

''That's good news. I've noticed you made friends with Miss Y/N.'' A white-haired man lifted a glass from a tray, studying a weirdly coloured liquid inside. ''Such a remarkable young lady. Very bright, and might I as well add, very favoured amongst the suitors.''

Finnick did not understand where Snow was going with this, but it promised nothing good for him or Y/N. He wasn't that naive to even hope they could keep this a secret, but it wasn't that evident. Besides, Snow still got his money. Then what was it?

''You see, Mister Odair, Miss Y/N managed to catch the eye of our new military commander - such a sweet couple they are. Now, Mister Odair, we don't want anybody getting in the lovers' way, do we?''

''No, President Snow.'' Finnick felt the air leaving his chest. This punishment was clever, he must admit. Still keeping both of them around but reminded of their place. It was cruel. In the best traditions of the Capitol.

''Good. You are a smart man, Finnick. I trust you to make the right decision.'' The President implied their short exchange was over.

The solution was quite simple - Y/N is marrying the man, and Finnick keeps himself as far as possible. It should be easy. They are not even lovers, just acquaintances. If that is true, however, Finnick's hands wouldn't tremble as much as they do now. He was in love with a dumb lonely girl from the Capitol, and now he had to let her go.

He was invited to the wedding, of course. It might have been Y/N's idea or the President's order - either way he was stuck drinking cocktails and chatting with a bunch of assholes while they all waited for the lover birds to appear.

A tremendous garden was filled with live music and laughter. The wedding was lavish: fountains of chocolate, crates of fresh fruits, names of which Finnick could not pronounce, expensive meat and fish, literal pools of champagne and wine. It isn't something she would have chosen, he thinks. But then, does he really know?

The first notes of a famous melody hit the guests' ears - they hurriedly took their seats, aligned in neat rows. The first to walk down the decorated aisle was the groom. A man in his thirties in a functional but high-class suit walked quickly. He was everything you expect from a soldier - serious and cold eyes, lean figure and short hair. The man looked nothing like people here, so Finnick assumed he wasn't from around here, probably from District 2.  

Then, she appeared. Beautiful white wedding gown, with red gemstones covering her shoulders and descending onto the neckline. From afar, Finnick assumed it was made to resemble fire. But when she moved closer, he realised. The gemstones were droplets of blood. People caught that too, judging from a few gasps in the crowd. Y/N smiled at them, a knowing look in her eyes. The goodbye look.

It hurt, Finnick noted with slight amazement. Watching her kiss a stranger instead of him. What hurt more were her tears, which many falsely assumed were happy. Finnick did not miss how her now husband grabbed her forearm in anger or how her mother tried to cover her sobs in Mr.'s Y/L/N shoulder.

''We have two minutes. He promised me he'll kill me if I ever spoke to you again. And I believe him.''

''Snow?"

''No, Derek. They say he turned his ex-wife into the avox. Can you believe that?'' Y/N chuckled, but Finnick knew better. She was scared.

''Snow also made it very clear that we can't speak again.''

Y/N nodded. ''I guess it is for the best.''

He wanted to say more: to comfort her, to say that it'll be alright, to say that he loves her. But it would make no difference, only give them something they can never afford to have - hope.

Y/N seemed to understand that too. ''Try to stay alive, Finnick. It suits you.''

-

The month changed quickly after that. Quite frankly, Finnick lost count of them a long time ago. Nothing new. Same faces, same duties, the same fake smiles and a small voice in his head.

The voice that slowly poisoned his mind. The voice that woke him up at night and haunted him in the daytime. Telling him that he is a coward, that there was a choice, he was just not brave enough to make it.

When the Quarter Quell was announced Finnick thought he might be going insane. He had not slept all night, preferring to stare into the relentless ocean. It has calmed him before, but not this time. Finnick was sure that he isn't seeing this water again - Snow will have him in that damn arena, and the chances of getting out were even smaller than before.

It was like a fever dream - reaping, interviews, countless photoshoots. It felt bitter but, at the same time, very familiar. He did not have to bother to attract sponsors or build a good image for the Capitol - years of work before came in handy. Finnick was left with a week of existence before his death. Very generous.

A few visits to his most generous sponsors. An hour or two. A pretty smile here and a moan there. Nothing of the unusual kind. Some cried, and some assured they will be doing everything possible to get him back. If Finnick could, he would laugh right in their atrociously painted faces.

The last client for today. A huge hotel with hundreds of rooms, very acquainted to Finnick. Golden doors, luxurious lobby. Room 23, the door to the right. He knocked and opened it without bothering to wait.

''Missed me, fisher boy?'' Y/N and her luminous dress. Finnick quickly shortened the distance between them, embracing the woman in a hug. She smelled sweet, with a hint of sourness - probably the healing cream.

''You have no idea.''

She chuckled in his chest. Finnick thought that this is how he would like to go - in her arms. He quickly lost the idea when she started speaking.

''We have an hour, then he'll find out. I am so sorry about the Games, but I won't be able to help you. Derek can't stand even your face in the magazine. Such an insecure asshole he is.''

Y/N looked up at him, a storm of feelings in her eyes taking Finnick's breath away.  And then he did something he never thought he would - he kissed her.

It was thorough and shamelessly hearty, nothing like the usual kissing he has done. Hell, she was not even his client - she was the woman he loved, the woman that he so desperately wanted to be his. Finnick felt her tilting her head to the right, pulling away.

''Don't,'' he mumbled, bringing her closer.

''You know you don't have to do it, right? You owe me nothing, Finnick.''

''But I want to. I want you. If you'll have me.''

Finnick felt Y/N's hands on his neck, pulling him in for another, much rougher, almost bruising kiss. They have an hour.

-

Salty waves touched his feet, bringing a burning sensation to the cuts and blisters - they will heal faster that way. The hot daytime sun was finally setting, allowing a few moments of peace in the blood-soaked arena.

Mags was already dead - it was absurd to think she had a chance to survive, as much as Finnick wanted to believe that. He will mourn her if he ever gets out of here.

The one thing occupying his mind was the birds, jabberjays. Finnick couldn't allow himself to believe another lie - Y/N was probably dead or on the verge of dying. He hoped she had gone quickly and without much pain, although judging from her cries, it was far from that.

Even if she was still alive, the first thing when the rebellion breaks out will be her torture. Finnick had sacrificed her for the revolution, for the future. And still, the thought of her eyes haunted him at night. Y/N will be dead now or later; for supporting the rebellion or being on the other side of it, and he sentenced her.

Finnick hopes she forgives him. He wishes they had met in another life - Finnick can almost hear Y/N's cheerful laugh and her soft hands holding his face. ''I love you,'' she says, and for once, it sounds happy, not bitter.

He will do his task - Finnick will get the lovebirds out alive. But then, he will make her a nice grave. They will be together. Y/N wanted to see District 4, his home. It will be her home too.

-

The plan worked. Katniss was on the hovercraft. The rebellion has started. Finnick tried to focus on what Haymitch was telling although in vain. It felt real now, the deaths of people he loved. The Capitol took the ones left - Finnick wished he could call them dead.

The door to the room opened, and Plutarch spoke.

''Took you long enough. We were almost getting bored, you know?''

Finnick glanced at the man in irritation. How could he say that? The fire girl lost more in that arena than Heavensbee could imagine.

''Plutarch, I suppose being away from the Snow's grasp helped you lose your manners? I can still have your tongue, so don't get too comfortable."

Finnick's head shot up at the sound of a familiar voice. It couldn't be.

But, there she stood. Y/N. Without her extravagant clothes and vibrant makeup, in a simple grey jumpsuit, she looked much younger.

''Finnick, this is Y/N Y/L/N, although I believe you have met before.''

He did not listen. Finnick embraced the woman, feeling Y/N's hands gripping his torso. She was here. Alive. Breathing and muttering something in his ear. He did not detect it at first, so caught up in his emotions.

''Finn, I love you, but I can't breathe.''

Y/N let out a burst of shaky laughter as Finnick instantly let her go, feeling a slow smile growing on his face.

They made it.

#hunger games finnick #hunger games #thg #finnick x y/n #finnick odair #finnick x you #finnick x reader #hurt/comfort

[moreespressoformydepresso]

So I just realized something. More accurately I had a thought and I’m now typing it out hoping this isn’t a very commonly known Hunger Games factoid or something that I was too stupid to see earlier. This is the cornucopia from the 75th hunger games:

Now, maybe I’m insane. That’s a very real possibility, as is evidenced by this whole blog and its contents. However…

Is it just me or does this kinda resemble rubble?

Mental, shiny, and very stylized though it may be, it kind of looks like slabs of something that fell from above and landed in a pile. It only vaguely resembles a cornucopia. The end of an actual cornucopia sticks fully into the air, with nothing below it supporting it because the weight of whatever food’s inside holds the front down. This cornucopia has at least one metal thing standing up to “support” the metal slabs creating the tail end. There’s also a piece of metal sticking into the air a bit away from the tail, making it look a little less cornucopia-shaped and a little more… natural looking? Like the metal was dropped from the sky and the gamemakers let it remain where it fell. It looks a lot like, say, a ceiling that collapsed and had several beams fall conveniently in the middle of the island. Just spitballing here…

For reference, this is the cornucopia from the 74th games:

It’s a lot more simple and I do mean a lot. Very clearly a cornucopia, kind of pointy for “aesthetics” but still one shape. The tail is completely off the ground and nothing’s really sticking out of it. It has angles, yes, but they’re very clearly there to make it a little more stylish. It’s smooth and clearly man-made.

Now, you could argue that the 75th cornucopia was meant to look more special because it’s essentially an all-stars season for the child murder games. The tributes were celebrities in the most fucked up way ever, so of course the cornucopia was gonna be flashy, but the 50th games had a gold cornucopia so I’m sure the gamemakers could have come up with something more fancy. A bejeweled cornucopia or something, with gemstones and a more expensive look to it.

However, as we all know, the whole point of the third quarter quell was to kill Katniss. What was Katniss for Snow again? Right, the memory of Lucy Gray coming back to haunt him more than five decades after her disappearance. In that context, him trying to kill Katniss is like him trying to kill Lucy Gray’s ghost in the arena. The same place he saved her from all those years ago, an action that nearly cost him his future. Now look at this image:

A bunch of slabs laid on top of each other that vaguely resemble the shape of a cornucopia. To me, the cornucopia from the 75th Hunger Games kind of looks like a metal, shiny, stylized version of this. Even that bit of metal sticking in the air away from the tail kind of looks like the rubble from the 10th games, which has two large chunks of ceiling sticking into the air. Almost like the gamemakers were intentionally trying to replicate the 10th games, but with the vibes of the later games. Focused on performance, which is an element inspired by Lucy Gray.

Was Snow trying to symbolically kill Lucy Gray’s ghost by replicating the cornucopia she climbed on top of (in the movies) which led to her victory? Only to have her die from it this time around since the threats all start at the cornucopia?

#the ballad of songbirds and snakes #the hunger games #10th hunger games #tbosas #hunger games #75th hunger games #74th hunger games #coriolanus snow #lucy gray baird #movie analysis #analysis #I’m reaching so hard please don’t judge #i thought of this while searching pictures of the 10th arena for a drawing and this is what i got instead #snow is a bitch he would totally so this

[saltwaterburns]

VERY EXPLICIT DETAILS AND DESCRIPTIONS OF MY FEELINGS AFTER FINISHING "THE EMPTY GRAVE"

I tabbed 5 pages: blue for 347, red for 354, green for 385, orange for 415 and yellow for the very last one

i. Lockwood tells Lucy about the blue sapphire necklace his dad got for his mum as a "symbol of his undying devotion".

I was listening to Radiohead for most of the book, and this scene in particular was very dear to me because "Weird Fishes/ Arpeggi" is almost most definitely Lockwood's song. Like. Everybody leaves when they get the chance to, but Lucy won't. Lucy is back here and he's with him and they're standing side by side and he nearly can't get the words out of his mouth that's gone incredibly dry but somehow he's telling her about the necklace in his palm and his mind is racing while thinking about how pretty it'd look against her supple skin. He's almost about to give it to her, his mouth is open but the words die in his throat because Kipps is leaning over the doorway and telling them that Winkman is here and now he might die and she might never really know about his feelings for her but it's okay, because she'll live. He'll make sure she'll live.

ii. "But, if anything, I had my eye on someone else."

"Good God, you don't mean George?"

"You must know there are other possibilities in this world."

Sweet, darling girl Holly and her unrecruited wlw crush. Sweet, darling Holly who was squealing on the inside whenever she caught a glance of Lucy, her glowing skin and twinkling eyes and bright hair. Sweet, darling girl Holly who couldn't help the mean words that sometimes spilled from her lips because God forbid anyone realised what actually might hide under those longing glances.

iii. Lucy and her pet Skully but Skully is being TAKEN AWAY and they're having an angsty goodbye.

I'm pretty sure I actually cried during this scene. As much as she hates to admit it, she's so fond of Skull and his company and she's so used to his vile, unannounced jokes and comments that when he's being taken away from her, her heart literally stops, even though she isn't in the living world anymore. We only realise what we have until we've lost it, and this quote fits here perfectly. Sure, she hates him and his comments are unneeded and he never helps her, but they can't just take him away, can they?

iv. "Marissa came by?" Lockwood asked. "Was she alone?"

"Hey, Lucy asks the questions around here," the youth said. "You can't just barge in and take over like you're the leader or something? Where's your respect?"

Bonus - Skull telling the Clapham Butcher Boy to "find his own human"

I GIGGLED SO LOUD. He's so emotionally dependent on her. Find your own goddamn human, fish face!! That's right!! He's my favourite character. Nothing intellectual to talk about here, it just made me smile really big.

v. She hung the symbol of Lockwood's father's undying devotion to his mother around. Her. Neck. Cause. Locky. Gave. It. To. Her.

CAN YOU HEAR MY SCREAMS AND SOBS? Oh my God, where do I even start? During the entirety of those 5 books, they've always ran and someone's been hunting them down and Penelope was always breathing over their shoulder but not anymore. They'll still take on dangerous jobs and get into little quarrels with Barnes but now Kipps and Flo are also part of their little 35 Portland Row agency. They'll still be in danger every day because that's just what their job requires but it's different because Lucy's got that little gemstone around her neck and it might not mean anything to simple onlookers but all the love and light that's ever been gathered in it is now shining upon her. It's casting a little golden halo around her head and it's all okay because even when death is looking them in the eye, they'll look at each other and nod and everything will be okay.

This is it! Thank you for reading my little rambles. I don't know how I'll ever recover, because 35 Portland Row will eternally be etched to my heart. As my favourite singer once sung, there'll always be a chamber in my heart dedicated to those three and all their little hooligan friends and the shenanigans they got into.

#lockwood and co #𖦹 saltwaterburns speaks! #lockwood and co review #lockwood & co #anthony lockwood #anthony j lockwood #lucy carlyle #locklyle #locklyle fanart #locklyle fanfiction #jonathan stroud #the empty grave #george cubbins #george karim #flo bones #quill kipps #holly munro #flo and george #anthony lockwood x reader #lockwood and co x reader #george karim x reader #lucy carlyle x reader #renew lockwood and co #netflix #lockwood and co netflix

[djsherriff-responses]

okie dokie @quixtrix

Gonna also tag @dextraicarus1994 since he’s a splinter cell fan and most likely has information to add to this discussion

We've heard the phase "everyone is the hero of their own story" at least once and while it's debatable if that is really true of everyone , there are some people who genuinely and unquestionably believe themselves to be the hero

And Sarah Fisher is one of those people

Unlike my Jade post, I'll be working somewhat backwards when it comes to evidence of my theory, primarily because one of the things that convinced me that Sarah has a hero complex was something that happens closer to the end of the first season

In the last episodes of CLH, we learn about Sarah's name and backstory. Her childhood where she got her father arrested , her military education and finally the death of her father

Sarah is a confusing character and until we get season two , theres so many questions surrounding her and very few, if any, answers to those questions

Did Sarah plan everything that happens in the show? If not, how much was Sarah's plan? Was her conversation with Dolph and Marcus genuine or an act? Or some combination of both?

What does Sarah really want out of all this? Did she have any involvement with Rayman becoming Ramon? If so, she's now the last of the board of directors and thus is in complete control of Eden, so what else can she possibly want?

And despite knowing first hand Eden killed her father , why did Sarah forego her human body and become a cyborg spider , essentially another cog in the machine that murdered her own father?

Is Sarah even "Sarah" anymore?

Then it clicked into my head that, the entire sequence of Sarah inside the VR , experiencing her past mistakes and trauma?

Can be read as a test of Sarah's convictions

Or other words, from her perspective ,she was on the hero's journey

And what's a common trope heroes experience? Challenges against their beliefs

Now obviously Sarah's character doesn't actually fit into the hero's journey , at least not without some twisting here. That is not important, what's important is that Sarah believes herself as the hero regardless of her actual circumstances or position in the world

Take note of how the hero's journey is about transformation specifically, as I want to draw a parallel to the anime/manga known as Land of the Lustrous. I don't want to spoil too much of that series as this is meant as a CLH post (I also need to catch up) but there is three pages from Land of the Lustrous I want to share

People who know of this series knows exactly what I'm implying about Sarah with this comparison, but for those who don't know what this manga is about: these three pages only has one character in them

Land of the Lustrous (or Houseki no Kuni) is a story set in a world where humans went extinct, but other humanoid lifeforms evolved from that extinction with one of those being immortal and genderless beings made of gemstones

The main character is one of these gem people called phosphophyllite ,phos for short, and their story is basically:

"what if the ship of theseus was a living being with a conscious?"

Keeping spoilers as minimum as possible, Phos , physically and mentally, undergoes drastic changes throughout the narrative both from circumstances beyond their control and the choices they've made

I believe , much like Phos, Sarah herself is a conscious ship of theseus

I want to bring attention to the connections between Bullfrog and Sarah , both in design and in narrative

Sarah's hair is the same colour as Bullfrog's hood , as well as being styled in a way that resemblances said hood. Both of these characters have colour palettes that share similarities with each other , in that they both primarily wear a monochromatic uniform with silver

They both also happen to have eye colours that's some shade of gold . Dolph's mother in the manga also has gold eyes. Coincidentally, both Bullfrog and Sarah are characters Dolph began to trust after he killed Alex for his betrayal

Bullfrog however leans more into wearing white while Sarah leans towards black, which happen to be colours used to represent themes of conflicting opposites , such as yin and yang or good vs evil

The other difference between them is Sarah has green accents while Bullfrog has red, which makes Bullfrog's palette more warmer while Sarah's is colder , fitting considering their personalities

Funny enough Bullfrog is a cold blooded frog hybrid. Meanwhile Sarah was is a human with a warm skin complexion

Red and Green are also opposites on the colour wheel, much like how Bullfrog and Sarah are opposites in the conflict between Assassins and Templars

Red and Green however, are complimentary colours too

As of season one we have very little regarding Bullfrog's life before the events of the show, but I'm betting my kidneys his life has some uncanny similarities with Sarah's

Remember how I said Sarah doesn't fit the hero's journey without twisting some things?

Bullfrog is an undeniable loyal, genuine character who does what he does out of the kindness of his heart. Bullfrog's heroism comes from caring for others and wanting justice

Sarah however, I believe has a hero complex that drives from her ego and a desire to control others

You can even say Sarah is a twisted remix of a hero

We can actually take a guess what experiences Bullfrog may have had in his life by comparing Sarah's life itself to the hero's journey set up, but let’s just focus on Sarah

I just want to have it at the back of our minds that Bulfrog’s life has likely paralleled with Sarah’s when we go down these points

Call to adventure: This is obviously when Sarah leaves the wasteland with Sam, her father , into Eden

Supernatural aid: Sam meets up with Marcus, who hacks the systems to help Sam and Sarah out

Threshold, beginning of transformation: Sarah snitches on the watch dogs

I want to put some attention to this moment of Sarah’s life as it has had a significant impact on her. Not only did her father loose custody of her and she was placed into Eden’s child care system (or whatever they do with Ray kids who expose their parents doing anything illegal) and was exposed to even more brain washing propaganda without any outside influence (her father) , but more importantly this was the first time in Sarah’s life where she had power over someone else’s fate

When Sam asks why Sarah did what she did, she replies “we have to do the right thing”. Looking at her body language , Sarah is not happy to be doing what she’s doing but fully believes, with no doubts despite her pained expression , it’s what she has to do , it’s the right thing to do

It seems odd, that Sarah was this heavily brainwashed and Sam was unaware of it up till this moment. Considering the wasteland is well, a literal wasteland I doubt there was much after school activity programs to influence Sarah this much. Sam seemed like a very attentive single parent so I can’t imagine the guy would let such pro Eden propaganda influences, such as the Rayman kids’ programs, anywhere near Sarah. Considering how young Sarah is in this flashback as well , she wasn’t exactly at the age of sneaking off and hanging with the wrong crowd

Unless Sam wasn’t Sarah’s only parent

Having a quick skim of the Splinter Cell wiki, Sarah’s mother in the games is a woman called Regan burns. Regan and Sam were on opposing sides during their military careers but that didn’t stop them from having a stormy affair, which lead to Regan becoming pregnant and having a troubled marriage with Sam. In the games Regan is cryptanalyst for the NSA , but who is Regan in the remixed universe?

During his introduction Bullfrog rambled about how his ancestors memories live on in his DNA , which is a reference to how in the assassins creed games people can use technology (or other means depending on game) to travel through the memories of their relatives (both close and distant) and learn information from them, it’s even how some get their assassin training

In some stories of the franchise, the main character is the direct child of an assassin, which puts further emphasis on bloodlines and their importance in the assassins creed

Just so happens, the templars use technology to travel through memories and bloodlines play an important role in their organisation , just like the assassins they’re up against

So it’s possible that, in this universe , Regan was a Templar and how she raised her daughter is what influenced Sarah “to do the right thing” and how Sarah was exposed to propaganda such as Rayman’s shows right under Sam’s nose

If Regan was a Templar, that could explain how Sarah not only knew about the order, but managed to get into the position she currently has in show. Regan’s influerence may also have given Sarah (and to some degree Sam) some advantages other people could only dream off, such as an opportunity to have a comfortable life in Eden and her military education

Thanks to Regan, Sam was still allowed to communicate with his daughter despite being a traitor

Dolph , as a fellow soldier in comparison, was taken from his mother and not even allowed any contact with her. He suffered so much just by virtue of having “good genetics”, Dolph and his mother in comparison did not commit any crime and yet ended up with a worse life than Sarah and Sam

If Regan is alive or not in the show does not matter now, what matters is that she was present in Sarah’s life long enough to make an impact on the girl

I do want to say while this was the beginning of Sarah’s transformation, the little girl wasn’t beyond saving at this moment in time

But Sarah, as stubborn as she is, doesn’t want to be saved

Sarah wants to save others

Challenges and temptations: Sarah’s years in the education system and her military training

Revelation , death and rebirth: Sam dies and Sarah makes the choice to become a cyborg

During their last conversation, Sarah brings up that thanks to her good grades, she’s been given the opportunity in becoming a cyborg. Sam is heavily against it , the two argue

Something interesting to note here is how defensive Sarah is of Eden , telling Sam “if Eden was so bad, you wouldn’t be in probation you’d be in jail” , and that he should be grateful Sarah is being given this opportunity at all “despite being the daughter of a traitor”

Sarah does not trust Sam to know what’s best. Not only for his daughter, but also not even for himself

When talking about how Sam died and her grief over losing her father, Sarah asked herself “was he right?”. Worth noting, Sarah never tells Dolph the answer to that question

That’s important because while it shows that Sarah did have doubts about Eden , no , herself , when it comes to how the world works, her behaviour in the last episode tells us exactly what the answer to that question is:

Sarah decided the answer doesn’t matter

What mattered was protecting her father from HIMSELF, and she failed

This was the moment Sarah’s fate was sealed

This was the moment Sarah shallowed her doubts, made the conscious choice to become a cyborg that would set her on the path to become sigma and never looked back

Regardless if she was influenced by Eden propaganda or her mother, Sarah came to her own conclusion about something that day: “order and peace will come through control and rules”

Sam , and all those innocent people, would still be alive if they just did what they were told

If Sam just did want Sarah told him to do

Before I talk about the last two points of the hero’s journey, transformation and atonement , I want to go back to that moment in Sarah’s childhood. The one where she had power

At an incredibly young age , even if it was just this one moment, Sarah had power over the lives of others and influence over what happens to those lives. This likely also made Sarah feel responsible for those around her , particularly feeling strongest towards her own father and his well being. This is where Sarah’s hero complex stems from

I’ve talked a lot about the hero complex, but what exactly is the hero complex?

“Noted author Laura Berman Fortgang, described the Hero Syndrome as a phenomenon affecting people who seek heroism or recognition, usually by creating a desperate situation which they can resolve and subsequently receive the accolades from. This can include unlawful acts, such as arson and attempted murder.” (Link here for further information about this)

We can actually see Sarah display this behaviour early on in the show, particularly in her treatment of team Ghost. The planting of bombs into their skulls under her control is the most obvious example but there’s two others I want to talk about

In the ending of episode 3, Sarah swoops in to rescue Dolph from his own suicide attempt. What she tells Dolph in this scene is damning evidence of her need for control over other people

“I’m the one who decides where and when you die”

Knowing in hindsight that she’s a Templar cyborg , she likely purposely planned it so that the news would catch her “saving” Dolph and label her as a traitor

Why exactly? Can’t really say, but I bet some part of it is just to give Sarah a little ego boost , convince the world she’s the underdog hero she sees herself as

But we can go further than that , in that Sarah wants control over how people live their lives, not just when those lives end in how Jade is treated by her

It’s really easy to assume Jade’s role in the show is due to sexism , and that’s possibly very much the case still

But comparing the role Sarah assigned Jade to the other ghosts, it really makes no sense that Jade was made to play the femme fatale

Dolph and Bullfrog were given jobs that they already do on the regular (Dolph stealing an item using his cyborg tech and Bullfrog sneaking into the building) and while Cody was (presumably) meant to be the one wrestling, Pey’J has the strength and body build to fill in Cody’s absent despite his lack of skills and experience in wrestling

Jade though? She clearly has no clue how to be a seductive temptress, and Sarah must have checked over the ghosts’ profile. Meaning she seen Jade’s profile and seen what she’s actually capable off

Unless Sarah didn’t actually want Jade to do her job

You know what else is common in hero stories? Damsels in distress

I think much like what she did for Dolph in episode three, Sarah’s plan in episode two was to rescue Jade. That obviously did not happen , but my point stands Jade was made a femme fatale so that Sarah can boost her own ego

It’s been brought up on Reddit that Jade’s hair (especially when styled by Sarah in the femme fatale look) resembles Sam’s hair

The two also have green eyes, and wears a hat that casts a shadow over those eyes

We could go a shippy route with this, but this post is already extremely long and I think there’s more interesting things we take from this than Sarah’s weird sexual fantasies

Whether it’s a subconscious thing or something Sarah is fully aware of, Jade reminded Sarah of her father

or rather , how Sarah views her father

I’ve talked a lot about Jade already over here but the point I want to bring to this is that Jade is a passive character in this show. Sam in contrast is not a passive character, but it’s likely Sarah wishes he was

I don’t think Sarah was ever intentionally ableist towards Sam , but combined with her having power over him which makes her feel responsible for his well being from a young age and her believing in the Templar belief that control is the path to keeping everyone safe, I do think Sarah doesn’t respect Sam as a capable adult, especially his life choices that lead to him taking part and dying in the wasteland war

I don’t know what this really means for either Sam or Jade as characters or if these similarities will play a part in season two. What I do know is that this shows Sarah isn’t above trying to mold people to her liking

Which brings me the final two parts of the hero’s journey

Transformation: Sarah becomes a cyborg Templar

”The Ship of Theseus is a thought experiment about whether an object is the same object after having had all of its original components replaced”

Since almost Sarah’s entire body is fully robotic , is it still Sarah’s body, or Eden’s property?

On the off chance that Sarah's brain is also robotic, is the things going through her head Sarah’s thoughts , or Eden’s programming?

Is Sarah even Sarah anymore?

Throughout this whole post I’ve spoke about Sarah , her hero complex and what may have influenced her behaviour. I don’t think Sarah came out of her transition into a cyborg member of the Templar order unscathed

While the ground work for Sarah’s hero complex were present, Sarah was once an innocent little girl who deeply loved her father. Sarah was not born into this world with an ego , she wasn’t born with an intense desire to control other people

Sarah wasn’t born with blood lust in her smile

It was not just Sam who died that day in the wasteland, Sarah’s humanity and connection to other people died with him

There’s something odd about the fact Sarah is the only member of the board of directors who is a cyborg , we know this because Ramon killed the rest way too easily. We also know from Ramon , that people who make it to the top don’t stay at the top

Much like Phos in HNK, Sarah is very much a victim of drastic change due to her own choices and circumstances beyond her control

and finally

Atonement and return: ???

I don’t really have anything to add to this part , mainly because Sarah’s story isn't finished yet

We’ll have to see how things play out in season two it seems : )

#captain laserhawk #captain laserhawk spoilers #hnk spoilers #sarah fisher #rambles #tw suicide #tw abuse #tw death #tw violence #this took me so many hours oh my god #This was gonna be a ship post but it completely derailed into this #I don’t know if Sarah is intentionally meant to be a fucked up version of the hero’s journey #But I do think her hero complex is on purpose

[that-ari-blogger]

Who Are You Really? (Reunion)

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is a war story, focusing on battles and the machinations of inside forces. It also delves into abuse and its effects on the individual and those around them.

But then it takes a break from all of that to tell a family drama about Bow. Reunion is worked into the overarching plot, yes, but this episode feels out of place.

So... why does it do this? And why does this episode fit with the themes so well?

SPOILERS AHEAD (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power)

The term "foil" is derived from the practice of putting gemstones on foil to make them shine brighter, according to scribophile.com. In terms of character writing, it means a character that contrasts another character to make them more individualised.

This is often used to refer to protagonist antagonist relationships. For example, Catra and Adora are foils. But the term doesn't have to mean that. When you put literally any two characters together, even the same character twice, they will foil off of each other.

I would even argue that Adora and She-Ra are foils in this series until the last three or four episodes.

I think Bow's character takes this concept a step further and seems designed to be a foil for the story itself. Trauma slips off of this man like water off a duck's back, and his moral code is unflinching and unquestionably benevolent.

Bow exists to contrast the story's themes in a similar way to Scorpia, although I will get there in a later post. She-Ra shows all kinds of relationships going south and people making terrible decisions, and then cuts to Bow as if to say "this is how it should work."

However, Bow does engage with one theme pretty head on. The series has a recurring theme of deception that it exhibits with the First Ones and Mara, Hordak and his armour, Scorpia and her family, and Shadow Weaver's entire deal.

Bow is also caught up in a lie, that being the made-up boarding school that he told his dads he goes to. But this is also used to contrast with the rest of the cast.

In all of the examples mentioned above, when the lie is revealed, it causes some major consequences, and reshapes the worldview of those who were lied to. Bow's dads certainly have their worldview shaken up, but the consequences are skipped over, kinda.

"What's breaking our hearts is the fact that you thought you had to lie about who you are." "You're not mad? But I'm a fighter, and you hate fighters." "I could never hate you. Never. If you feel like you belong in the Rebellion, that's where you belong."

The series has trained the audience to associate consequences with punishment. The consequence for a failed mission is someone getting killed, the consequence for failing Hordack is the loss of breathing privileges.

The consequence for Bow's deception being revealed is an understanding being reached between him and his dads. It is a reconnection, because they value the truth, and do not hold grudges over each other. In other words, these three love each other unconditionally.

There is the key: Unconditional love. The final theme of the series that Bow has been playing entirely straight the entire time.

She-Ra as a whole has had the theme of love on the backburner. It is very clearly there, but it's never dwelled upon. Glimmer gets one over on Shadow Weaver because she cares about her friend despite anything that Shadow Weaver can say, for example. But nobody has explicitly said anything about the theme.

That is what this episode is, its telling the audience that this theme is here, and that they should start looking for it.

I do like the subversion of traditional romance in this series. The best parents in this series are Angella, George and Lance, a single mum and two gay dads. The heteronormativity of parents in literature as a whole is being messed with in this series, and I think that's great.

Contrast Bow's family with Catra's experience in this episode, and the key term changes from "unconditional love" to "trauma".

The scene with the shadow is a phenomenal microcosm of Catra's Post Traumatic Stress Disorder caused by Shadow Weaver. The woman isn't in this scene, but her shadow lingers, and it scares Catra out of her anger for a moment. Catra isn't scared of Shadow Weaver, she is scared of what Shadow Weaver can do. She is scared of the feeling of isolation that Shadow Weaver causes.

Franklin D. Roosevelt was a president of the United States of America, and is famous for saying this:

"We have nothing to fear but fear itself."

Rosevelt intended this to be a hopeful message, and I'm sure it was at the time, but it sums up Catra really well. She wants nothing more than to feel safe. That's why she loves Adora and not She-Ra, because where She-Ra can theoretically protect people from danger, Adora could protect Catra from being afraid. Catra is afraid of being afraid, and most of her actions in the series, from climbing the Horde ranks to confessing her love at the end of the series, all stem from a desire to be safe.

The series goes out of its way to show that love and safety are synonymous. Bow's dads love him unconditionally, and so he is safe to express who he really is, even if he doesn't realise it. Shadow Weaver does not love her children, and you know that because they are not safe around her.

You can see this with Adora as well in the tiny moment at the start of the episode. She sleeps with a knife, something that very few people who feel safe when they sleep do. It's a left-over behaviour from sleeping under the protection of Shadow Weaver. Adora cannot relax.

On a similar note, the Hordack thing.

Catra is mean, that's not a criticism of the character at all, that's an observation of the person. She is the villain of the story.

But I personally don't think that it is ever acceptable to remove someone's ability to breathe, against their will, in order to make a point. I don't think that any character in a story, no matter how bad they get, should be treated like that.

Final Thoughts

This episode is funny... mostly. There are a few jokes that don't land, and those stick out like sore thumbs, but for the most part, this episode is good.

As someone who studies history, is was genuinely funny to me to see the historians who didn't know what they were talking about. Or rather, historians that were working on theories that weren't correct. Because that's what history is. A lot of it is known, of course, but a lot isn't, and as new research is done and new evidence is uncovered, theories change.

Next week, I will be looking at The Price Of Power, so stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

#rants #literary analysis #literature analysis #character analysis #what's so special about...? #she ra and the princesses of power #spop bow #she ra pop #spop #she ra pop bow #she ra princess of power #she ra bow #mermista can do no wrong

[thebadgerclan]

Rings

Pairing: Alex Claremont-Diaz x Henry Fox

Summary: Alex needs to return the ring...

This was a trip Alex never thought he’d have to make.  Only a month after painstakingly selecting an engagement ring for Henry; after stealthily getting his ring size, after pouring over designs, gemstones, engravings, after finally landing on the perfect ring for the love of his life, he was returning it to the jeweler.  Alex wanted to laugh at how absurd the situation was, but he thought better of it.  It wouldn’t look good if the President’s son started laughing hysterically in public, now would it.

The jeweler had cleared out her shop at Cash’s request, and she smiled when Alex entered.  “Mr. Claremont-Diaz,” she said, leaning on the counter.  “I didn’t think I’d be seeing you again.  What brings you in?”  Alex approached the counter, his hands in his pockets.  “Well,” he said, sounding sheepish.”  “I…uh…need to return this…”  He pulled the ring box from his pocket and set it on the counter, and the jeweler stared.  “Oh, Alex, I’m so sorry.”  But Alex wasn’t frowning, he wasn’t upset.  He looked…happy?

Champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, takeout from Alex’s favorite dive down the block (because Henry still wasn’t great at cooking), David in a little tuxedo, candles on every surface, copies of Le Monde littering the ground and tables.  “Baby,” Alex said.  “What’s all this?”  Henry pressed a flute of champagne into Alex’s hand and a kiss to his lips.  “Can’t a man spoil his boyfriend?” was Henry’s rebuttal, and Alex laughed.  “I guess, but I feel like you have an ulterior motive here, babe.”

There had indeed been an ulterior motive.  Henry had cleared the dishes away after dinner and returned to Alex only to drop to one knee before him.  “Henry, wha-”  “Hush, darling,” Henry said.  “I have loved you since I first saw you in Rio, and I spent years pining for a man I thought I could never have.  Then you blew back into my life and stole my heart, and I never want it back.  Alexander Gabriel Claremont-Diaz, I love you.  I have loved you for every moment of my life, and I will love you for every moment, with every breath, for the rest of my life.  My love, will you marry me?”

Alex tapped his fingers on the counter.  “Yeah, turns out I won’t be needing that.”  The jeweler was about to offer her apologies again when Alex pulled his left hand from his pocket.  “Because Henry beat me to it.”  On his finger was a silver band studded with little diamonds, and on his face was the widest, dopiest smile imaginable.  “Oh, well congratulations!  Unfortunately because yours was a custom piece, I’m unable to accept a return on it.”

“Ah,” Alex replied, and he supposed that made sense.  Henry’s ring was also a silver band, though his was engraved with roses–the Tudor rose for England and yellow roses for Texas.  There was an engraving on the inside too, two short words: History, Huh?  “Can I suggest something?” the jeweler asked, and Alex nodded.  “Maybe use it for his wedding band?  I could easily have one made for you to match, if that’s the direction you guys want to go.”

Alex smiled, the thought of wedding bands setting a riot of butterflies loose in his stomach.  “I’ll have to ask him about that,” he said.  “Thank you, sorry to bother you.”  “Oh please,” the jeweler said.  “You’re not a bother.  Plus, you cleared out my store long enough for me to take my lunch break.”

Alex made his way home, where Henry was waiting in the living room.  “Turns out I can’t return it,” he explained, accepting his fiance’s (God, would he ever get used to calling Henry his fiance?) kiss.  “Why not?”  It was then that Alex realized Henry hadn’t seen the ring.  Henry had proposed, Alex had tearfully accepted, and then they’d gotten rather distracted.  He hadn’t asked to see the ring Alex had made, and Alex hadn’t thought to offer.

“Well, I had it customized,” Alex explained, pulling the box from his jacket pocket, offering it to Henry.  Henry cracked it open, gasping softly when he saw the ring.  “Alex, this is…”  “It’s alright if you don’t want to wear it, baby.”  “Put it on me!”  Alex smiled.  “Really?”  “Yes, you cretin!  Put it on me!”  “Look at the inside first, baby.”  Henry did, letting out what sounded like a mix of a laugh and a sob.  “Dear God, I love you so damn much.  Now put my ring on me!”

Alex took the ring from him, sinking to one knee before him.  “You gave me a flowery speech, now it’s your turn.  Baby, the love of my fucking life, I understand now why I snuck into June’s room and stared at that picture of you in her magazine.  It’s because I was so stupidly in love with you, even then.  Henry George Edward James Fox-Moutchristen-Windsor, will you make me the happiest man ever and marry me?”

Now Henry was crying.  “Yes, you tosser, now kiss me.”  Alex stood, pulling Henry into his arms and kissing him deeply.  He slid the ring home, and Henry gazed at it adoringly.  “I love you.”  Alex kissed him again.  “I love you more.”  “Again, I believe that’s up for debate.”  Hours later, a post goes up on both Alex’s and Henry’s Instagrams; both the same picture with the same caption.  Their hands are the focus of the image: Alex’s resting atop Henry’s, their engagement rings shining in the evening light. The caption: Another chapter in the history books, coming up… 💍

#firstprince #alex claremont diaz x henry fox #alex x henry #firstprince fluff #rwrb fanfiction #rwrb #red white and royal blue

[sarcasmsweetie]

A Better Life, Part 3

Here’s Part 3!! So happy to finally get this out. I also happen to have the day off of work tomorrow, so I think we can expect a quick turnaround for Part 4 :)

Pairing: Azriel X Oldest Archeron Sister

Word count: 4.9k

Taglist: @lunalilyf @londoneyes-glasgowbones @eerievixen @hollyismentallyillhelp @parker-natasha @tbmaybank @poison-iv3 @morks-watermelon

Part 2 | Masterlist | Part 4

I glared at Viviane as she laughed at me. “You’re going to pace a hole right through my rug if you don’t take a deep breath and relax.”

“Relax? I haven’t seen my sister in months. What if she’s disappointed? What if she isn’t impressed with everything I’ve done since I left?” I paused, looking at my fingers as they played with the hem of my sleeve. “What if she doesn’t like who I am?” I whispered, finally voicing the real fear that’s been plaguing me since receiving Feyre’s letter earlier this week to accept my invitation for a visit.

I heard Viviane stand from her chair and walk towards me. Placing her hands on my shoulders, I glanced up to see a kind smile on her face. “How could she possibly find any fault with the glorious female I see standing in front of me?” Keeping her hands on my shoulders, she began taking deep breaths, and I mirrored the action. After a few breaths, I began to feel my heart calm down ever so slightly.

“What would I do without you, Viv?” She smirked, brushing imaginary lint off my shoulders before taking a step back.

“Crash and burn, if we’re being perfectly honest. I mean, look at how much your fashion, at the very least, has improved since meeting me. The Y/N I first met all those months ago certainly wouldn’t have looked this fabulous as the Y/N standing in front of me right now.” I pushed her shoulder with a laugh, secretly agreeing with her. The dress I picked out for today is one of the finest things I own – white with a sheer fabric that covers my shoulders and serves as sleeves. The sheer overlay becomes a powder blue at the waist, growing darker as the fabric reaches the floor. Viviane tried to convince me to add silver gems to the top part of the gown, but I’m not exactly a “gemstone” kind of female, it turns out.

Our laughter died after a moment, and I began to fidget with my sleeve yet again. “Do I really look okay?”

She moved a bit of hair behind my ear and smiled. “Stunning.” I started to take another deep breath, but held it instead as I heard voices approach the sitting room Viviane and I have been in. I turned and looked to her with wide eyes, and she only rolled her own at me. “You will be fine,” she whispered. I watched as she moved to be more central in the room for when Kallias opened the double doors into the room, and I quickly straightened my shoulders and followed.

“We’re all so thrilled to have you visiting us – I know I can speak for Viviane as well when I say this is hopefully not the only fun visit we can have with one another.” Kallias opened the double doors, and behind him followed Feyre and Rhys. My eyes connected with Feyre’s, and I saw hers immediately start to turn silver, and I bit the inside of my cheek to try and prevent tears myself. Viviane stepped forward in welcome, immediately following along with her mate’s train of thought.

“This absolutely is not going to be the only ‘fun’ visit! We have spent so long fighting and rebuilding that we are all owed times to relax and just be ourselves with friends.” Feyre broke eye contact to turn to the Lady of Winter and greet her briefly before Rhys stepped forward to do the same.

I watched as Rhys made small talk with the High Lord and Lady, allowing Feyre the opportunity to break away and approach me. I didn’t realize I also began to move towards her until she was finally within arm’s reach. My gaze roamed over her, checking to make sure she was at least physically well, the habits I’ve built over the years not allowing me to do anything else other than confirm she’s safe and alright. She wore a black gown fitted in the bust, but otherwise loose and flowy. I couldn’t recall this style being worn around the Night Court, but maybe it’s new. My eyes came back up to her face where a small smile rested as she finished looking me over.

“You look wonderful, Y/N .” The weight I felt sitting in my chest vanished the moment I heard her voice, and I took the final step towards her to pull her into an embrace. She immediately wrapped her arms around me, holding on as tightly as I was holding onto her. “Oh, I have missed you,” she whispered and I tightened my grip ever so slightly.

“I am so glad you’re here. I was so afraid after I left, so scared you wouldn’t want to see me again.” Feyre pulled back and looked at me with her ‘stern’ face.

“There will never be a moment where I wouldn’t want to see you.” Her hand came up to rest on the side of my face, thumb rubbing gently along my cheek. “I just wish I could have helped you in the way you needed.” It was my turn to turn a stern gaze onto her.

“How could you possibly have known what I needed when I still don’t know that particular answer? Let’s you and I make a promise right here, right now: we will never try and shoulder the blame for something out of our control. Life is messy, and uncertain, and painful, but we cannot control everything. I hate that more than anything in this world,” Feyre laughed and I smiled, “but I at least have started to accept that unfortunate reality. Makes some days a little easier than others.”

Feyre nodded, silently agreeing to the promise I asked of her. Rhys walked up to us soon after, small smile on his face. “It’s good to see you, Y/N .” I turned and pulled him into a brief hug.

“Thank you so much for coming. I think a little family gathering like this is exactly what I’ve been missing these days.” He held out both arms in invitation to Feyre and I and led us to where Viviane and Kallias moved to sit, tea already on the table.

“I’m honored you consider me to be family.” I pinched his arm before separating myself to take me seat. He hissed slightly, rubbing his arm.

“I’ve always wanted a brother, you know. I can think of no better brother than the one who has saved my dearest sister in more ways than one.” He smiled as he made sure Feyre was settled in her seat before sitting in his own.

I could think of less painful ways to show your appreciation to siblings…” This time, it was Feyre’s turn to smirk.

“Welcome to the world of sisters, darling. Kindness can act as a declaration of war, and mild torture is the highest form of affection.” Feyre winked, and Viviane burst into laughter.

“Oh, yes. We absolutely must do this more often. If there’s ever a time you’re free to come to one of our weekly brunches, you are always welcome.” Feyre and I grinned in response. Keeping conversation light throughout the visit with Viviane and Kallias, I was beyond pleased that these two groups of my life got along so well. I shouldn’t be surprised – it’s not like they’re complete strangers, after all. But knowing these parts of my life were melding so well gave me hope that I could have a future of happiness. _________

The sun started to set beyond the horizon as the sleigh pulled up to my home. Feyre was immediately taken by Fenrir, and he was overly fond of her considering she kept providing him snacks throughout the 20-minute ride. Rhys laughed every time, ensuring Fenrir sent him a side glare before happily munching on whatever treat Feyre passed along.

“You’re right – I can see a bit of Cass in him.” I watched Rhys’ eyes light up as we all stepped out of the carriage. “I can’t wait to tell him there’s a reindeer in the world who could take his place in a heartbeat if he pisses me off too much.” I could practically hear the eyeroll coming from Feyre, but she opted not to comment.

“What can we do to help?” I had already started to unhook Fenrir from his rig as she approached.

“Stand there and look pretty. I just need to finish unhooking Fenrir, and he’s all set here in the stable. Food and water was replenished this morning, but he’ll probably fall asleep somewhat soon considering he spent the day playing with his best friends.” He nuzzled into the crook of my neck as I finished unhooking him, and he walked deeper into the stable where his water resided.

I turned out of the stable, beckoning to Feyre and Rhys to follow along. “It’s not much, but it’s home.” We walked through the front door into the living room that opened up to both the kitchen and dining room. Only the two bedrooms and connecting bathrooms were hidden down a hallway to the left, otherwise the bulk of the cottage was this open space. The walls of the living room were lined with books and various knickknacks I collected while exploring the different courts. A sofa and armchair were placed in front of the fireplace with a few different side tables. Behind the sofa and in front of windows looking over the forest behind my cottage stood a piano that Viviane and Kallias gifted to me when I bought the place. I spent most nights here, figuring out how to play old songs from the human realm while also trying to learn songs I’ve heard since being Made.

The dining room was simple – a table with four chairs, and a small liquor cabinet I bought from Aidon. But the kitchen was my favorite part of the house. Two ovens, a massive ice box, and seemingly endless countertops so I could cook, bake, and create to my heart’s content.

“Your home is lovely, Y/N . The location is nice as well – close to everything without needing to be within everything. One of the many reasons my ancestors built houses in mountains and whatever other oddly isolated spots they could find.”

I chuckled, remembering the House of Wind and the ridiculous 10,000 steps necessary to reach the house if you were unable to fly or winnow. “The perfect kind of home – easily accessible without being easily available.” I moved to the kitchen where they followed along. “Can I get you anything to drink? I have a few bottles of wine, but also Winter Vodka if you’re interested in trying out the delicacies of this court while you’re here.”

“Yes to the wine, and maybe tomorrow for the vodka.” I nodded, turning to look at Feyre to see what her preference would be. I watched as she glanced at Rhys before moving to lean forward against a counter.

“Water for me, please. I don’t think I’ll be able to enjoy wine, or vodka, for a while still.” I narrowed my eyes slightly, looking between the two. Feyre looked a bit nervous, but Rhys was smiling brighter than the sun in Day.

“Are you telling me what I think you’re telling me, little dove?” Feyre turned to Rhys, who pulled a wrapped package from his shadows. They both placed a hand on the gift as they pushed it across the counter to me.

“Open it.” I kept an eye on Feyre as I pulled at the wrapping paper. Once the paper was removed, I looked between the two of them one final time before looking down. The first thing I noticed was that this was definitely painted by Feyre. She pulled in hues of purples and blues to create a field of flowers that looked like they were pulled from both Night and Winter Courts. On the center of the canvas written in black, Feyre added, “Only an aunt can give hugs like a mother, keep secrets like a sister, and share love like a friend” I hugged the canvas to my chest, smiling.

“You’re going to be a mama?” She nodded, tears in her eyes. I ran around the counter, canvas still in hand, as I pulled her into a hug. “My sweet Feyre, you are going to be the best mother this world has ever seen.” She sobbed into my neck, though it also sounded like she released a laugh.

“I’m certainly the biggest crybaby of a mother this world has ever seen. I swear, I’ve cried more these last couple of months than I have my entire life!” I laughed as I pulled back, remembering our mother being incredibly emotional over every little thing when I watched her carrying my sisters.

“Unlucky for us that it runs in the family. The only proof I had of Mother being human was when she was pregnant and would cry at anything, even the sunrise.”

Rhys put his arm around Feyre’s shoulders, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Even when you cry, you’re still the most beautiful creature on this world, darling.” I placed the painting on the counter before turning to the ice box.

“This calls not only for a toast, but champagne. I think I have a bottle in here…” I looked around the shelves before spotting it in the back. “Aha! Rhys, can I hand this to you to open and I’ll get the glasses out?” Popping the champagne open, I placed three glasses in front of him to pour, then turned to fill a glass of water for Feyre. I figured a small sip of champagne for the toast won’t hurt her or the baby, and then she can have her water for the rest of the evening. Whether Rhys read my mind or was simply already thinking the same thing as me, he poured a small amount in one of the glasses before filling the other two.

“For you, ladies.” He passed us the appropriate glasses, and I held mine up in the air.

“When you were young, the greatest love you ever knew came from your family. As you grew, the greatest love you ever knew came from your mate. Today, the greatest love you’ll ever know is for your baby. A toast to you, little dove, and all your greatest loves, forever together as one big family.” _________

The next morning brought us into the city itself, showing Feyre and Rhys where I worked along with some of my favorite places to visit. We stopped in a few different shops where Feyre bought some small trinkets. Rhys said everyone back home made them promise to pick up something unique to Winter, despite the number of times they’ve all come for whatever reasons over the centuries. I smiled, thinking of Mor and Cassian begging Feyre to bring home souvenirs for them. While Feyre shopped for the family back in Velaris, I kept my eyes open for little gifts I could start collecting for my little niece or nephew. I may not have been around a baby for a while, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten all the best supplies that parents should stack up on to make baby happy and their lives a little easier. I made mental notes of which stores sold which items so that I could come back when I didn’t have the nosiest new mother and father to be by my side.

One of the stores I had taken Feyre to was one of my favorite art supply stores where I’ve stocked up on tons of yarn and various sized needles for all of the knitting projects I planned out. Little did Feyre know that today’s trip wasn’t merely to stock up on yarn, but to specifically pull materials for her little one’s baby blanket. Feyre’s eye caught onto some brush sets and while she tried to convince herself she didn’t need any more, Rhys strode up to the store owner and purchased them before Feyre could talk herself out of wanting them. I laughed at her appalled look, though we all knew it was just for show.

After a few hours of exploring, we opted to have lunch back at my house so we could set our shopping bags down and rest comfortably for the afternoon after our morning of walking. I urged Feyre and Rhys to rest while I began pulling items from the icebox. I luckily prepared everything for stew before they arrived – all that’s needed is to heat it up. I figured a simple stew would be wonderful at some point during their visit since I know Feyre and Rhys aren’t too accustomed to these temperatures as a norm, so I wanted to make sure they’re comfortable.

“Let me help, Y/N .” I looked up to Feyre watching me, and I shook my head to the stove.

“All that’s needed is to heat this up. Planned this meal ahead of time.” She narrowed her eyes, but after realizing there wasn’t anything for her to do, she hopped up onto the counter next to me. “How is everything back in Velaris?”

“Things are going well. Mor has been traveling more to Vallahan than we expected in order to get them on board with the peace treaty, but that’s becoming more of a challenge than anticipated.”

“If anyone can get someone on board with a treaty, it’s Mor. I’m sure it’s frustrating for her, but I know she’ll pull through.”

“She always does.” I smiled back at Rhys who had just entered the kitchen. Stirring the pot a bit so nothing would stick and burn to the bottom, I turned to face Rhys while leaning on the counter next to Feyre.

“And everyone else? I figured I would have heard if Nesta burned the city to the ground, so I’m assuming no news is good news on that front.”

“She and Cassian have been dancing around each other for a while now, but she has made some pretty great progress with her training. She was against it at first, to no one’s surprise, but now that she knows she’s decent at fighting? The struggle now is getting her out of the training ring instead of into it.”

I chuckled, thinking of our fierce sister against an enemy, knowing her opponent would never stand a chance if Nesta planned on giving her all. “I’m glad she’s able to put her focus into something. She never did well just sitting around.” I stirred the pot a final time, thinking it only needs another minute or two to heat up. “And Elain? How is she?”

Feyre hesitated briefly. I noticed it, but chose not to comment on it. “She’s admittedly not that great. But the gardens help keep her grounded. Rhys and I are actually building a home all our own, and she’s taken it upon herself to plan out the gardens for the new house.”

I nodded, wondering what part of Feyre’s statement to comment on. Taking the cowardly route, I sighed as I pulled bowls from the cabinets. “That’s wonderful you’re building a new house. Knowing you both and your flairs for both style and comfort, I know it will treat you better than any of the other houses Rhys currently has under his name.”

They both chuckled, but I saw Feyre turn her attention to Rhys from the corner of my eye before she cleared her throat. “ Y/N , I need to tell you something.” I glanced up at Feyre, nodding for her to continue as I finished serving our lunches into bowls. “Nesta figured out that Azriel is your mate.” I paused, not at the news, but sensing Feyre had more to say.

“That doesn’t surprise me. When did she find out?”

“The day you left. She confirmed with me later on, but otherwise kept it to herself until earlier this week.”

“What prompted her to say something now? It’s been months.”

Feyre and Rhys looked at each other, and I could tell they were talking through their bond, or maybe their daemati powers. I never knew which, but I suppose it didn’t matter. “After we shared we were visiting, things got… heated. Elain’s been acting out ever since you left, and with the two of us visiting instead of all of our sisters, something was triggered with her. Everyone had enough of her childish behavior by this point, one thing led to another… Before we knew it, Nesta is yelling at Elain. Essentially saying she doesn’t get to have a say in how you choose to live your life since she stole your mate after rejecting her own.” Feyre flinched at the memory and my jaw dropped. Rhys rubbed his chin and offered a sheepish grin.

“She shut the room up real fast after that. Nesta was pretty fierce in defending you, once everyone processed what was really going on. Some more…words…were exchanged, most of which were pretty hurtful and brutal, if I’m honest.” Rhys and Feyre were silent for a moment, reliving the memory. I cleared my throat, debating if I was going to ask it or not, but since we’re here…

“How did he respond?” Feyre’s eyes softened. She took hers and Rhys’ bowls of stew and led me to the table, waiting for me to be settled with my own before responding.

“Not well. He knew about the bond, Y/N . Felt it snap into place the same moment you did.” My head shot up to look at Feyre, my hear breaking all over again. “For whatever reason, he convinced himself it was with Elain. That by her rejecting Lucien, it opened her up to the possibility of a different mate.”

“Rhys told me that’s not possible. You don’t get a second mate,” I said slowly. Rhys nodded in agreement, grief in his eyes. “So you’re telling me that he’d rather believe in some bullshit lie, would rather believe that someone who could never be his mate was all his, instead of even considering the possibility that the bond snapped in place with the only other soul in the room that day?” I stood from my seat and began pacing around the room. “You’re telling me that my mate has wanted nothing to do with me from the very beginning; that my mate would rather live out his life with someone else instead of acknowledging me?” I moved to the liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle of vodka. Opening the bottle, I took a deep drink.

Feyre hurried over to me, placing a hand on my wrist. “Wouldn’t you rather have something inf your stomach first?” I looked at her for a moment before taking another drink.

I heard Rhys sigh before he moved next to us, reaching for a bottle himself. “I can’t possible leave a lady to drink on her own. Sorry to leave you as a babysitter, darling.” Feyre snorted, but otherwise didn’t say anything else. I sat myself down onto the floor, taking a few more sips as I processed what was shared with me. I know I don’t have the full story – I’m certain there was much more said than what is being shared with me. Yet I felt as if I knew enough.

“He tried to –“ I raised my hand, effectively cutting Feyre off.

“No more talk until I’m drunk. I think it’s the only way I can handle it right now.” Feyre sighed, but Rhys sat next to me on the floor, clinking his bottle with mine.

About two or so hours passed, and Feyre respected my wish to be drunk before starting up the conversation again. We had moved into the living room by this point, and I was sprawled over my armchair, having gotten through about a third of the bottle. “Rhys caught him twice trying to come to Winter to see you, talk to you.” I snorted.

“Like that would have done him any good. I don’t even know what’s going on in my own head most of the time – I’m not ready to hear his mumbo jumbo excuses.” I took another sip before getting up and bringing the bottle with me to the piano. “Did you know I’ve been teaching myself old songs from the human realm, little dove?” I sat at the piano, lifting the cover over the keys. “I hoped maybe remembering those songs, singing them as loud as I possibly could, would help my heart stop hurting so much. But no matter what I do, it keeps hurting.”

I set the bottle on the floor next to the bench and started lightly pushing at the keys. “I’ve been talking with Lucien, y’know? Try and get a sense of any tricks he may have to get past the burning hollowness. He unfortunately has no such tricks to share with me, but we did start a pretty nice friendship. We get together once a month to drink and cry over what could be.” I chuckled. “Let’s be real – I cry. He tries to stay stoic, especially since Viv and Kallias have taken it upon themselves to babysit us during these visits considering how much we drink and whine. But I think he’s finally loosening up around them.” I continued to softly play the piano, thinking back on some conversations I’ve had with the redhead. “I’m glad I reached out to him. No one else gets it, y’know? I know you’re always in my corner, little dove, but it's hard. It’s hard to try and explain what I’m going through to someone who is so happy.”

“We weren’t always happy like this.” I looked at Rhys, vaguely remembering the time Feyre was with Tamlin, completely unaware of Rhys’ feelings for her. I felt my shoulders droop at the memory.

“It’s so easy to forget that there were times you weren’t together. I completely forgot about Tamlin…” Rhys laughed loudly at that.

“Imagine how easy life would be if we could all forget about Tamlin.” Feyre smacked Rhys across the chest, though that did nothing to quell his laughter. To try and change the conversation, Rhys looked back over at me. “You say you’ve been practicing old songs from the human realm? Would you sing something for us? Feyre told me about how you would always sing her to sleep when you were younger, and I’ve been hoping to hear it for myself.” My fingers moved around the keys for a moment, thinking about which song to do.

Don’t know what to do anymore I’ve lost the only love worth fighting for And I’ll drown in my tears Don’t they see? That would show you That would make you hurt like me

All the same I don’t want mud-slinging games It’s just a shame To let you walk away

Is there a chance A fragment of light At the end of the tunnel A reason to fight? Is there a chance You may change your mind Or are we ashes and wine?

Don't know if our fate's already sealed This day's a spinning circus on a wheel And I'm ill with the thought of your kiss Coffee-laced, intoxicating on her lips

Shut it out I've got no claim on you now I'm not allowed To wear your freedom down, no

Is there a chance A fragment of light At the end of the tunnel A reason to fight? Is there a chance You may change your mind Or are we ashes and wine?

I'll tear myself away If that's what you need There is nothing left to say

But, is there a chance A fragment of light At the end of the tunnel A reason to fight? Is there a chance You may change your mind Or are we ashes and wine? Reduced to ashes and wine Or are we ashes?

Feyre had moved from the sofa to sit on the bench with me, resting her head on my shoulder as I sang. It was an old one I remember hearing when Mother was still alive. Funny how you can hear a song growing up and not understand what it means, until suddenly one day, it all clicks.

“I don’t remember that one,” she whispered. I turned my head slightly, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

“It’s an old one. I first heard it long before you were born, little dove.” She was quiet for a moment before speaking up, almost as if recalling the lyrics.

“Is this what it feels like for you?” I shrugged the shoulder she wasn’t using.

“Right now, yes. Most days, it hurts a lot more. The ‘shut it out’ line was sort of my motto when I was still in Velaris – shut everything down so that you don’t have to feel anything at all. We’ve gotten past that numbness, though there certainly are days I wish I could pull that over me like a blanket, just rise through the day hiding and not feeling a thing.”

The room was quiet for a moment. Too quiet. I began to play again, smirking down at Feyre. “I vote that the next song be a bit more upbeat, yeah? Remember the shanties father used to sing whenever he’d come home from traveling to some far-off land?”

Feyre and I laughed at Rhys, who stood and started hopping around as if he were dancing a jig to the opening of the first shanty I began to play. Surprisingly enough, he knew the lyrics as well.

While I still felt the hollowness in my chest after the first song, it began to feel a bit lighter, singing raunchy shanties with my sister and her mate. I don’t remember a time I laughed so much in such a small window, and despite the amount of vodka I’ve consumed, I knew this would be a night I could never forget.

#azriel x reader #azriel x you #azriel angst #acotar #bri's writing

[peaceisadirtyword]

Pull the Trigger VII (Modern!Ivar/Reader)

A/N: Hi!!🥰 I will be in Dublin when you guys read this so I truly hope Tumblr queues it correctly😭 Thank you so so much for the sweet comments on the last chapter, you guys are great♥️ This one is also a bit dark but no more SA triggers, no worries🫶🏼 Thank you for reading, I hope you like it!

Warnings: mentions of drugs (involuntary consume), alcohol, possible PTSD, violence, threats, Ivar gets (very) angry, but also a bit of fluff and softness. 

Words: 2972

Read on AO3

Fic Masterlist

Your head was pounding almost like you had drunk an entire bottle of alcohol by yourself. The music coming from the party now sounded far away, and some parts of your body still ached from Erik's forceful grip. They also felt dirty.

In any case, you couldn't think straight. You had thrown up on the street when Ingrid had taken you out of that house. Now you'd swear she was sitting next to you, but couldn't be certain as you didn't dare to raise your head from between your legs.

“Y/N!"

You recognized that voice, but weren't sure of who it was. It wasn't until Thora kneeled in front of you and raised your head to take a look at you when you realised.

“Thora" your voice sounded like a whine and talking only made you feel worse.

“Oh my god" your friend sighed “Okay, you're okay, I've brought help, Y/N"

Hvitserk kneeled next to her, he cupped your head to try and make you open your eyes and look at him.

“She's conscious, that's a good sign" he said “Hey, Y/N, do you feel like throwing up?"

“She did when we came outside" Ingrid bit her lip “Then she kind of passed out and I freaked out, that's when I called you" she sounded nervous, and you just wanted to turn to her and tell her you were fine, but for some reason you couldn't “I woke her up with some water and I tried to make her eat something but she refuses"

“Y/N"

This voice you recognized almost instantly, forcing yourself to open your eyes and looking up to see a very angry Ivar standing next to you. You felt like crying then. That voice had been inside your head for days, unwilling to leave, why was he here now? Were you dying or something worse?

“Let's take her home" Hvitserk said, and Thora nodded before grabbing your other arm, helping Hvitserk to get you up. Ivar stepped forward and you grabbed his jacket unconsciously, sniffing and almost searching for comfort in his smell and warmth. For some reason, now you only wanted to cuddle him and sleep, touch him and hear his voice, in real life and saying nicer things than the last ones he had said.

“Look at me" he almost ordered, and you made the effort to look at him again. His face was more hypnotising than ever... Were his eyes so bright before? They almost looked like gemstones... “Who did this to you?"

You let out a sigh, almost sobbing and shaking your head. You couldn't think, you couldn't talk. You just wanted to get home.

“Was it Erik? Did Erik hurt you?" he asked again, lowering his voice “Answer me, tell me the name of the person who did this to you and I swear they won't see daylight again, princess"

You just nodded, not finding the words to tell him that you didn't care about Erik, only that he was there and you wanted him to take you home. For some reason.

Ivar looked at the entrance. You felt his entire body tense up but no matter how tightly you grabbed him, he still walked away too easily.

Hvitserk took you to the car, and you almost sighed in delight when you finally were able to sit on a comfortable seat. Ingrid and Thora climbed inside after you, and Hvitserk whispered something you couldn't hear.

“Ivar?" you muttered again, feeling nervous and lost now that he had disappeared again.

“I'll go get him" Hvitserk said to Thora, who nodded “I'll be right back"

He didn't have to look for him for too long. Erik stood next to the door. His lip was split and the annoying smirk had disappeared from his face. People had moved away from Ivar, who looked more than ready to murder someone.

“Next time you get even close to her I will put a fucking bullet inside your empty head" Ivar threatened, but Hvitserk grabbed his arm to hold him. He was trembling in rage, and Hvitserk feared he'd lose control once again.

“Ivar" he hissed “Let's go, there's too many people here"

“Do you hear me?!" he roared, and Hvitserk swore Erik shuddered.

“Ivar" his brother tried to pull him away, but he kept ignoring him “She's in the car, we need to leave, also she asked for you"

That seemed to calm him down. After spitting in Erik's direction, he turned around. Hvitserk almost groaned in desperation when Erik decided to talk.

“That fucking little bitch isn't even hot" he spat some blood, and Ivar stopped again “Good luck trying to fuck her, Boneless, you'll need it"

Hvitserk had to practically push Ivar outside the house and prayed that he didn't remember the gun he carried with him in his pocket. He could hear Erik laughing, but ignored him. They would take care of him soon.

_________________________________________

Helga was already there when Ubbe brought you inside the room. Ivar walked with his crutch as fast as he could behind his brother, cursing his legs for making him go so slow and also preventing him from carrying you there himself. The room Aslaug had always named "the infirmary" was a small living room that was used to treat Ivar outside the hospitals. He had forgotten how much time he had spent there, but it had everything one would need; a bed, monitors, and medical stuff that his father had purchased as soon as the doctors had said that he would be able to live a pretty normal life if he had constant medical care. Hospitals were okay for a few days, but also not as safe and too public sometimes, so they had installed a TV and bought shelves for books and it became the Lothbroks' play room, where his brothers would spend their evenings after school to keep him company.

Helga smiled warmly at him when he approached the bed in which Ubbe just left you. You were conscious, but could barely keep your eyes open and the light bothered you. She leant into you to examine you and you frowned.

“Was she feeling sick on your way here?" Helga asked, and Ivar shook his head.

“Her friend said she threw up when they were still at the party, and then passed out, but she was able to wake her up again"

“Good, she looks pretty conscious so she probably didn't drink much... Do you know what type of drug they gave her?"

Ivar shook his head again. The one familiar with drugs was Hvitserk, and he was on his way to take Ingrid home with Thora.

“Looks like ecstasy or GHB" he said “Probably, but I can't know for sure"

“Yes" her lips pressed together as she turned to you again, smiling softly “Hello, Y/N, my name is Helga, I'm a nurse but you're now at the Lothbrok's house" she continued talking softly, Ivar remembered that tone from when he was little “I'm going to place an IV on your arm now, okay? If you feel pain or you feel sick tell me"

You tried to nod, but barely could move your head. Ivar sat next to you.

“Hey" he said softly “Can you hear me?"

Again, his voice made you open your eyes, and instantly narrowed them to avoid the intense light.

“I'm..." you tried to speak again, turning your head only to widen your eyes when you saw the needle Helga had on her hands.

“Look at me" Ivar made you turn your head again, distracting you “Are you afraid of needles?" he chuckled “Needles scare you but I don't?"

You barely felt it when Helga placed the IV in your arm, but almost smiled at his words. It was frustrating how your body kept refusing to react the way you wanted.

“Relax" Ivar said again “You're safe here"

And just like that it was almost like they had taken an immense weight off your shoulders. Finally, you closed your eyes and relaxed, falling asleep almost instantly.

____________________________________

It was too quiet when you opened your eyes. The ceiling was spinning around and you had to shut your eyes again to avoid feeling sick, but groaned and rubbed your eyes. There was a dull pain on your arm and your head felt lighter and almost like you had drunk way too much.

It took you a few seconds to realise you weren't in your room. Or any room you were familiar with. And when you looked around after sitting up with some difficulties you were even more shocked when you saw Ivar Lothbrok looking right at you.

He had a book on his hands, the small lamp on a bedside table was on even though the rest of the room was dark. And he looked amused when you opened and closed your mouth a couple of times.

“Hello, sleeping beauty" he smirked.

“Where am I?" you groaned “God, I can't remember a thing... I was at Erik's party, he... I don't remember, I just remember..." the images of him pushing you inside a room and touching you flooded your mind, and you shook your head to make them go away “What are you doing here?"

“You're at my house" he explained softly, his tone was patient and comforting, definitely not a tone he had used with you before “Your drink was spiked, Erik drugged you" he sighed “We brought you here, and Helga gave you something to make you feel better" he pointed at your arm and you looked down to find a gauze on your inner bow “Then you fell asleep, it's four in the morning now, so you can go back to sleep"

You looked around again, still confused.

“You have a hospital in your house?"

He chuckled, shaking his head.

“A long story, now sleep"

“I... Would like to wash my face... Remove my makeup and change clothes" you muttered rubbing your face again. Just remembering Erik had touched you made you want to get into a shower and rub your skin until every single trace of his touch had faded. Then burn your clothes “Can I?"

Ivar nodded, and left the book on the table before reaching for his crutch and standing up. You stared at him while he moved to turn on the lights and turn off the small lamp.

“You can use my bathroom" he said “And my bed is more comfortable than this one, can you walk?"

You weren't very sure, but you nodded anyway, and put the blankets back to get out of the bed. You felt dizzy for a moment and Ivar had to hold you.

“I can't carry you" he whispered “But I can call one of my brothers and..."

“No, don't bother anyone" you shook your head “I'm fine"

The way to his bedroom was agonisingly slow. Ivar walked next to you, his arm behind your back in case he'd have to catch you if you fell, but luckily his bedroom was on the ground floor, not too far from the room you just left.

He turned on the lights. You would have liked to look around and see what he had, but you didn't dare to raise your head as you entered the bathroom as quickly as you could. You could barely make your way to the toilet and open it when you fell to your knees and threw up again. Luckily, the bathroom was adapted and quite large.

Coughing and sniffing, you felt the tears fall down your cheeks and startled when Ivar's hand pulled your hair away. His other hand remained on your back, caressing it slowly. You wanted to start sobbing, but you felt humiliated enough to hold it back and dry your tears with your hand.

Ivar didn't say anything. Instead, he took a clean towel to clean your mouth and your cheeks, and when you finally felt good enough to stand up again and looked in the mirror, you gasped.

It was like the blood had left your face. Your makeup was ruined, smudged around your eyes, your hair was also a mess, and the image only made you feel even worse.

“Sorry" you muttered, your lower lip trembling, when Ivar approached you after throwing the towel inside the laundry basket and reaching for a clean one.

“Don't be" he simply replied, and patted the marble counter just under the mirror  “Come on, I'll remove your makeup"

You didn't have the strength to argue, so you sat on the counter so you could be more or less at his height while he wetted the towel.

His touch was soft and gentle, which you would've never imagined. He looked focused, his hand placed right next to you supported his weight.  

“You were right"

His eyes fixed on yours, and his expression softened as he stopped. Finally, you got an excuse to stare at his face, that beautiful face you loved to hate.

“I always am" he replied, and his jaw clenched “But I swear to the Gods, I was hoping I would be wrong this time"

You sniffed again, looking down at your lap and smiling softly.

“Aren't you going to smirk and say: I told you so?"

“No" Ivar's fingers on your chin made you raise your head again as he continued to remove your makeup “I did punch him in the face, though, and I would have done way more if Hvitserk had let me" he pressed his lips together “I swear, the only thing I wanted was to make him suffer for as long as I could before putting a bullet between his eyes"

“Please don't..." you gulped, shaking your head “Put a bullet between anyone's eyes, it's... Violent"

Ivar smiled then, and your stomach fluttered, almost like you were on a rollercoaster ride.

“Violent doesn't even come close to describe what I will do to him" he whispered “You don't need to know the details, though, close your eyes"

You did as you were told, and the soft, warm towel started removing the makeup from your eyelids. He was so close to you that you could feel his breath hitting your lips, and you'd swear that made you even dizzier. You wanted nothing more than to lean in and press your lips against yours, but you stayed as still as you could, enjoying the closeness, the silence and the nice feeling of his touch.

_________________________

“I will give you some clothes” he muttered, and you nodded slowly as he left the bathroom, only to come back a couple of minutes later with a t-shirt and some sweatpants “They’re mine, but the only woman clothes in this house are upstairs and I…” he touched his leg, and you smiled softly at him.

“It’s okay, thank you”

He closed the door behind himself. You sighed again and turned to the mirror to wet your face.

When you were finished in the bathroom, you stepped into the bedroom again. Ivar had extended a few cushions and blankets on the floor and stood now shirtless in the middle of the room. You froze and widened your eyes.

Just before he turned around, you were able to admire his back. He had tattoos that started at his back, and tensed over his muscles when he moved, the ink lines travelled over his shoulders and arms and continued on his chest. You cleared your throat, your head felt even lighter now and you had to hold onto the door for a moment.

“I um… I can sleep on the floor if you prefer”

Ivar rolled his eyes as he slipped a grey t-shirt over his head. You almost pouted in protest when his masterpiece of a body got covered up.

“Shut up and get into bed, I’ll be right back”

You obeyed him. Maybe in any other circumstances you would have argued, told him he was no one to decide for you and that he couldn’t just tell you what to do, but the softness of the covers, the comfort of the bed and the unmistakable scent of Ivar that lingered on the pillows were more than enough to make you sigh in delight.

That was probably the best bed you had ever been in.

When Ivar left the bathroom, you heard how he threw the crutches away, before he spoke:

“I need to sit down on the bed to take off the braces, do you mind?”

You raised your head and stared at him, shaking your head slowly. The fact that Ivar Lothbrok had asked for your permission to sit on his own bed in case it bothered you blowed your mind. And also melted your heart a bit.

He groaned slightly when he started taking them off. The vast, iron braces fell to the floor, but Ivar kept touching his legs softly, taking deep breaths until he finally sat on the floor, crawling to the improvised bed he had built.

“Do they hurt?” you asked, your head back down onto the pillows. Now that he was on the floor you could see him while laying down.

He looked taken aback by your question, and his reply took a few seconds.

“Yes” he finally said “They hurt every day, but some days are better that others”

“What is it called?” you asked, biting your lip “Your disease”

“Osteogenesis Imperfecta” he replied, looking up at his own ceiling “Type IV”

You nodded slowly before reaching to turn off the lights. You felt sleepy now and your entire body felt heavy and numb.

“I’m sorry you’re in pain” you muttered “It sucks”

Ivar stayed silent. You could hear his breathing and how he moved between the blankets he had on the floor.

“Yeah” he said “It sucks”

______________________________________

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