#that is 100% my number 1 fictional husband

[kingmlem]

I don't care what anyone says.

This:

Is a literal sweetheart. Y'all are just mean.

No, I will not:

Be taking criticism

Shut up about this

#mlem plays #gotham knights #wb montreal gotham knights #i love him #i love his character in the game #i would let this man do unspeakable things to me #and then let him cook me breakfast in the morning. #'but mlem he's ugly-' LOOK AT HIS EYES #this boy *feels* it. whatever *it* is. #also we stan a therapy king #love that for him #jason todd #thank you for coming to my ted talk #its my mental breakdown i get to choose the hyperfixation; gotham knights #i reiterate; This man/baby/angel deserves fucking recognition and i will die on this hill. #that is 100% my number 1 fictional husband #your honor #he's my babygirl

[reanimatedheart]

Hello! Welcome to the official Reanimated Heart Tumblr.

(This Pinned is Under Construction. Still figuring out the tags...)

Reanimated Heart is a character-driven horror romance visual novel about finding love in a mysterious small town. There are three love interests with their own unique personalities and storylines. Play the demo on Itch now!

Content Warning: Reanimated Heart is an 18+ game! It contains dark subject matter such as violence and sexual content. Player discretion is advised.

This blog is ran by Jack, the creator.

Itch | Link Tree | Patreon | Twitter

Guidelines

My policy for fanwork is that anything goes in fiction, but respect my authority and copyright outside it. This means normal fan activity like taking screencaps, posting playthroughs, and making fanart/fanfiction is completely allowed, but selling this game or its assets isn't allowed (selling fanwork of it is fine, though).

Do not use Reanimated Heart for illegal or hateful content.

Also, I expect everyone to respect the Content Warnings on the page. I'm old and do not tolerate fandom wank.

F.A.Q.

Who are the main Love Interests?

Read their character profiles here!!

Who's the team?

Jack (creator, writer, artist), mostly. I closely work with Exodus (main programmer) and Claira (music composer). My husband edits the drafts, and my friend Bonny makes art assets. I've also gotten help from outsiders like Sleepy (prologue music + vfx) and my friend Gumjamin (main menu heart animation).

For VOs, Alex Ross voices Crux, Devin McLaughlin voices Vincenzo, Christian Cruz voices Black, Maganda Marie voices Grete, and Zoe D. Lee voices Missy.

Basically, it's mostly just me & outsourcing stuff to my friends and professionals.

How can I support Reanimated Heart?

You can pay for the game, or join our monthly Patreon! If you don't have any money, just giving it a nice rating and recommending it to a friend is already good enough. :)

Where do the funds go to?

100% gets poured back into the game. More voice acting, more music, more trailers, more art, etc. I also like to give my programmer a monthly tip for helping me.

This game is really my insane passion project, and I want to make it better with community support.

I live in the Philippines and the purchasing power of php is not high, especially since many of the people I outsource to prefer USD. (One time I spent P10k of my own money in one month just to get things.) I'll probably still do that, even if no money comes in, until I'm in danger of getting kicked out the street… but maybe even then? (jk)

What platforms will it be released in?

Itch and then Steam when it's fully finished. Still looking into other options, as I hear both are getting bad.

Will the game be free?

Chapter 1 will be free. The rest will be updated on Patreon exclusively until full release.

Are you doing a mobile version?

Yeah. Just Android for now, but it's in the works.

Where can I listen to the OST?

It is currently up on YouTube, Spotify, and Bandcamp!

Why didn't you answer my ask?

A number of things! Two big ones that keep coming up are Spoilers (as in, you asked something that will be put in an update) or it's already been asked. If you're really dying to know, check the character tags or the meta commentary. You might find what you're looking for there. :)

Tag List for Navigation

Just click the tags to get to where you wanna go!

#reanimated heart #updates #asks #official art #crux hertz #black lumaban #vincenzo maria fontana #grete braun #townies #fanwork #additional content #aesthetic #spoilers #lore #meta commentary #memes #horror visual novel #romance visual novel #yandere OC #prompts

[kulemii]

Top five things you love about Big Fish Husband, go!

weird, tumblr is dating this dec 1st but i only received it in my ask box a few days ago. idk how long ago you sent this but regardless- i'm sorry for your wait! from five to one. let's get into it, shall we?

YAKUZA 5 SPOILERS AHEAD (cw; there might be whore behavior...i'll try to tone it down just be aware 💜)

NUMBER 5: STRONK (with proof) & THICC & LORGE

i am... weak to a strong, THICC man, okay? does his head look like it was plopped atop his shoulders as an afterthought? yes! thick head, thick neck, thick shoulders, thick back. where do my arms go? he so wide! i'm a short, stubby gworl. if he looks like he could bench press me and our inevitable five kids, i invite him to get started on #1 😏. can't help it.

NUMBER 4: VOICE

i've said this a bajillion times but i am loyal to my favorite seiyuu and hiroki yasumoto is someone at the top of that list. masa caught my eye just because He, HOWEVER it was when he spoke that my brain went ❗❗❗❗ and lo and behold, it was The Man! i already had an interest but then i had to cling to masa on sheer principle after that. it was the law, ya know? gotta follow the law 💜

NUMBER 3: HANDSOME (witH PROOF)

this will be the last on the physical bits of him- it's not ALL physical babe! but... there are some things about aizawa, physically that i think are so appealing and i love whenever i have the opportunity to point them out to people. when i talk about people about him, lots of people cite his body as the thing that made them realize that he was attractive and that's totally cool! like, 100% there's nothing wrong with that- in fact i think that he would appreciate that his body is so loved because he's spent a ton of time building it to become what it is! and my, is it a marvelous one at that. however, there are other things! like, for example- his absolutely gorgeous deep olive skin tone and the way his koi works against it- the darker color of it i mean. they work so well together! and when he gets sweaty??? GOD! so amazing! he's got such pretty eyebrows- they're sharp and expressive and you can tell when he's got something on his mind, well before he even opens his mouth. his hair looks SO SOFT! i have so many headcanons about his hair omg. the TEXTURE of his skin like OMG!!!! pores, moles, stubble- HE HAS EVERYTHING AND IT'S SO CUTE <3 i love just....admiring his face 💜 his eyes; he's got some of the prettiest eyes in the series if you ask me and you have so i'll say it again 📣AIZAWA HAS SOME OF THE PRETTIEST EYES IN THE SERIES~! i wish rgg took better care of them throughout because there are times in the game (not cutscenes) where his eyes aren't lined up properly with who he's speaking with and the lighting in addition to that give them a really funky look. but aside from that- they're literally so beautiful, like they twinkle under moonlight! THEY TWINKLE BABE!!!!! no but fr, just the shape of his eyes themselves MWAH chef's kiss! speaking of kissing-- nah i ain't gonna do it- this bullet's gone on way too long lmaooo

NUMBER 2: PASSIONATE (and a lil sensitive uwu)

gimme a big man with a little character that he is over-protective (+ willing to risk his life) over and i will slap him with the gentle giant trope and never look back. honestly, i didn't have to go outta my way for this one- the writer's did it themselves! they made him 8'6 and morinaga 4'11 and was like 'ok morinaga, you're the big brother here annnd action🎬' then aizawa was like 'my aniki broke up with me on a sticky note and idk what to do with my life. 🥺🥺pls halp' and i was like, 'that there, is a sensitive big man. i can do something with that.' i've done so much with that omg. ALSO, seeing him get all riled up when he wanted to speak his mind 🥰 love me a fictional man with fuse shorter than my pinky <3. bonus points if he's sooo dumb about it too.

NUMBER 1: BELIEFS

masato is a nepobaby... and despite being handed the keys to two castles, the king went and fucked off with them both and the price? snow nap. frozen nipples! ICONIC BEHAVIOR IF YOU ASK ME AND YOU ARE SO 📣ICONIC BEHAVIOR! aizawa said, that he doesn't care about an inheritance- his dad's probably loaded now- was, rip lol. he was believes in hard work begetting reward. aizawa says NO to nepotism! er, despite sorta kinda basically still sorta kinda benefitting from that nepotism because how else would he have gotten a shot at kiryu (and have himself be heard) if he weren't someone at least vaguely plot relevant...... fourthwallmachinebrokelol WE'RE ALL HYPOCRITES HERE~!!! just making inferences based off other shit he said, i don't think he's all too fond of the old guard remaining in major seats of power. and like, sure that might make him a wee bit ageist but like.... anyway, i'm all for someone deciding their company sucks but they still want a promotion and then challenging one of the board members to hand-to-hand combat. it's a power move, really. everyone should give a shot, i support them. with a kiss if their name is masato aizawa and they look good in a silk purple button-up 💜

#aizawa masato #masato aizawa #yakuza 5 spoilers #the last probably didn't make any damn sense #i had a lot more shit to say but think this post went on wayyyyyy too long #anyway- thanks for sending this! #i always appreciate when someone ASKS me to gush about aizawa #i feel less guilty about it lol

[returntosaturn271995]

Sunday, March 3rd: We long for a lifetime, and then it's gone

Today was fresh, lucid, and focused. Walked to Trader Joe's to recreate one of the 100 recipes I've saved from TikTok (much like a squirrel losing its nuts that way- I'm full of the first 4% of ideas that are lost somewhere in the ether of intention and action"). God, always reminding me I'm here for his amusement, magically made TJ's out of a crucial ingredient for the pasts meant to represent me changing my life- so I left with $71 worth of groceries and am headed back tomorrow for a restock dammit.

Comedy: Thought of a great tie-in to my joke about White people who play up their 1/16th Native American heritage and a joke about cheating on my emotionally distant husband. I'll have to wait until Makenna's next workout class to practice out loud.

Family: Called mom today and talked to her and Dixie about men. Dixie told me the best men love Christ and to look around the church next time I'm there. I laughed and told her I'd keep it in mind. Then I asked her to tell me something embarrassing about my mom from her childhood- didn't get anything good though.

Fitness: I felt like Sysiphus carrying those heavy as hell groceries back home, I need to just start driving them already. 22 minutes of yoga while watching Ru Paul's Drag Race. Hydrated as hell.

Cooking: Made Polenta with aspargus, tomatoes, prosciutto and gruyere cheese. Pesto drizzle.

Cleaning: Took out all forms of trash from the household, another round of dishes, laid out bomb-ass outfits for the week.

Weirdness: Got a call from Keldon high as balls on shrooms last night. Good to hear his voice. Boy, does he hate being a doctor.

Reading: Finished XOXO Cody, and diving into book number 9 of the year: "Blonde Identity". It's a silly little spy romp from one of my favorite teen authors from the past who is writing adult fiction: Ally Carter.

Trying: No electronics past 10 pm----11 pm if I'm just really not trying to be America's sweetheart here. I should, I can...but do I really want to?

[theyanderespecialist]

STALK CAPTURE POSSESS (Aka Secure Contain Protect)  -----Rules And Requests Open----- Yandere SCP/Doctors/Guards (Headcanons/Oneshots/Scenarios)

SUMMARY 

Any SCP Any Doctor Any Guard All Yandere and They WILL Have their Darlings Stalk Capture Possess 

Title: 

Rules And Requests Opens 

Chapter: 

Hello My Sexy Readers, I am doing A Deep Dive Into SCP Foundation and that means this was bound to Happen. First I will be transferring all oneshots, headcanons, base headcanons, mini series, scenarios, and such for anything SCP over to this now onto the rules. 

-----RULES-----

No Sex Scenes with SCP  or Reader or OCS under the age of eighteen 

No Gate Keeping 

Do Not Take These updates serious they are fiction and are just entertainment 

No Bullying 

Not A TON Of Blood and Gore

No Detailed Rape (I may do reluctance and drugged but in the end of the day it is not hands down rape Darling consents it on some level) 

Be Pleasant 

-Base Headcanons- 

(Vote for as many numbers as you want for seeing their base headcanons and if I did not add a scp or doctor you want feel free to write all of them in the comment bellow or if you are on my tumblr my ask box) 

1: Dr. Jack Bright 

2: Dr. Simon Glass

3: Dr. Alto Clef 

4: Dr. Gears

5: Dr. Iceberg 

6:  Benjamin Kondraki 

7: SCP-014

8: SCP-035 Possessive Mask

9: SCP-049 Plague Doctor

10: SCP-049-J The moron Plague Doctor (As I call him) 

11: SCP-073 Cain

12: SCP-076 Able

13: SCP-079 Old AI

14: SCP-096 Shy Guy

15: SCP-106 The Old Man

16: SCP-173 The Sculpture

17: SCP-682 Big indubitable lizard

18: SCP- 939 Voice One (can't remember) 

19: SCP-993 The Clown

20: SCP-999 Tickle Monster

21: SCP-1486 Benny the f up baby

22: SCP-2030 Laugh guy XD (as I call him) 

(Once again voting for them with help very very much on what they are base like now moving onto headcanons as base headcanons are only with gender neutral reader) 

-Headcanons-

So you can ask for any type of headcanons with any SCP Any doctor any guard even ones I did not mention 

for example 

Headcanons With SCP-035 X Female Immune Reader 

Headcanons With SCP-049 X Male Straight Patient Reader 

Headcanons With SCP-076 X  Non binary Bisexual Immortal Reader

Headcanons With SCP-073 X Genderfluid Pansexual Chef Reader 

(As such you can choose gender and sexuality for headcanons BUT It does not stop their!) 

Stalker Jack Bright X Married Female Reader

Therapist Dr. Simon Glass X SCP Safe class Male Reader

Husband Dr. Alto Glef X Researcher Genderfluid Spouse Reader 

(As you can see you can add anything really and make it even more deep dive than it already is) 

-Scenarios That you Can Vote on!-

(This section of Scenarios will be able to vote on the one bellow the numbers will be make your own add as many characters that I mention or not yet for you all to enjoy!]

A: Meeting them and what happen after mini series basically when they first saw you through everything they do to or for you to the end where they make you theirs by force or courtship (List the yanderes you want for this) (Male or Female Or Genderfluid or Non Binary?) (Sexuality?)

B: Forced Pregnancy/Breeding/Mating (List the yanderes you want for this) (Male or Female Or Genderfluid or Non Binary?) (Sexuality) (If male on male Mpreg?) 

C: Doctor Reader put to help the SCP the SCP(S) get very attached) (List the yanderes you want for this) (Male or Female Or Genderfluid or Non Binary?) (Sexuality)

D: How they react to you being married? (List the yanderes you want for this) (Male or Female Or Genderfluid or Non Binary?) (Sexuality)

E: Fantasy a life with you were it is the main dream if they were not stuck their and could be with you (List the yanderes you want for this) (Male or Female Or Genderfluid or Non Binary?) (Sexuality)

-Scenarios-

(Now these again you can put as many yanderes doctors or scps or guards to them but it is going to be you making up a scenario)

F-1: Put here .....

One Shots

At this point we cannot do a lot of Readers in one shots that are smutty 

but you can have Marie and Mark and Michelle as OC in the place Marie and Mark get done the quickest 

Can be anything though 

[Comment bellow and Stay sexy but once AGAIN If you are On My Tumblr please put in the ask box I am 100% likely to see that compared to the comments your Requests stay sexy everyone!] 

#yandere #yandere various #yandere scp #yandere scp foundation #yandere x reader #yandere x oc #OC #Marie Oc #OC mark #michelle oc #reader #yandere headcanons #yandere one shots #yandere scenarios #yandere mini series #mini series #scenarios #one shots #headcanons #base headcanons #scp #SCP Foundation #various #various x reader #scp x reader #scp x oc #various x oc #scp foundation x oc #scp foundation x reader

[recurring-polynya]

soul reapers to get paid and their salaries are even quite high! if i remember correctly, lieutenants make around $7k while a captain’s salary is almost triple(nearly $19k)

(cont) that is if my conversion was right, in a JET interview kubo said captains make 2million yen, lieutenants - 700 000yen and an unseated officer - 200 000yen. but then again, i think the living cost in ss is much higher, i remember matsumoto mentioning that clothes in the living world are much cheaper

I have to say this is one of the liveliest discussions on Bleach meta that I have ever participated in on this website. I feel like I can definitively report that is is both fanon consensus and supported by the creator himself that Soul Reapers do, in fact, get paid. For the record, my husband, who started this, conceded days ago and I am sure has not thought about it since.

In any case-- I was very surprised by these numbers, and at first I thought that maybe they were in kan, the fictional currency used in Soul Society, rather than yen. I mean, $19k/year is a terrible salary (for those of you who are not American it is roughly minimum wage). I attempted to figure out the conversion rate between kan and yen once, and at the time, came to the conclusion that kan were worth somewhat more than yen, but I no longer have my scratch pad, so I cannot show my work. Looking at it again, they seem pretty close.

Then, just to get an idea, I googled the salary of a four-star general in the American military, which I thought should be a rough equivalent, and the article I found reported all its numbers in monthly salaries, which I am not used to seeing, but maybe they are more common in other countries. In any case, according to the article I found, the highest salary you can make in the US military is $15,800/month ($189,600/year), which is pretty close to what a Gotei captain makes. I realize that is a lot of money on an absolute scale, but that actually seemed shockingly low to me, in the sense that there have only ever been 246 four-star generals in the history of the U.S., but this is the sort of salary that, say, a C-suite executive might make. A president of even a public university can make 2-5 times this. Now, a career in the military comes with a lot of other perks-- free room and board, free healthcare, etc, but I think this is going to make a much bigger difference to the people in the lower ranks.

The more I thought about it, I do think this tracks, though. Gotei captains are immeasurably valuable and basically impossible to replace. One of the more chilling moments leading up to the Winter War was the part where Hitsugaya is basically like “we don’t know how many Arrancar Aizen has, but if it’s more than 10, we’re screwed” and then it cuts to Hueco Mundo, and Aizen is just surrounded by guys. So, yeah, it honestly makes perfect sense to me that captains are paid a “good living” but it’s insulting compared to the wealth of the nobles that live around them. I don’t usually have a lot of nice things to say about Byakuya, but I do want to emphasize that this has to be chump change for him. This guy definitely works out of a sense of duty, he is not in it for the Benjamins.

The vice-captain salary (~$84k/yr) comes closest to an O-4, which corresponds to a major or a lieutenant colonel, and usually entails about 10 years of service. I guess years count for less when you’re immortal, so I guess that works out. One thing that doesn’t fit is that in another interview, Kubo states that Renji’s sunglasses cost half a year’s salary, but their price is listed in the Bleach Bootleg as 84,700 kan. If a kan is roughly equal to a yen, this is wildly off. I will get back to this later. In WDKALY, there was some mention of vice-captains and captains being given “mansions” to live in (if they chose to). I absolutely cannot accept this fact as canon. I can’t. I mean, there are numerous omake about Hisagi trying to score free food out of Omaeda, yet this man lives in a mansion? And do not tell me he (or Matsumoto or Iba) would pass up living in a mansion if they had the option, even if the commute were an absolute nightmare. Maybe he can’t afford the cost of utilities and furnishings. I don’t know. Please, someone write me a sitcom of Hisagi and Kira living in giant mansions next door to each other, but it’s just like the Bluths living in the sample house in Arrested Development. [Aside: Renji would take the mansion, but he would turn it into an indoor soccer field and continue to sleep in the barracks search your heart you know it’s true]

Back on topic! The unseated officer salary of 200k yen/mo works out to an E-3, which is what an enlisted service member makes after a year. Everyone in the Gotei is considered an officer, and unseating people are awful, so, once again, this seems fine. Well, it seems shitty, tbh, but consistently shitty.

To really answer the question of “is this shitty?” though, we need to consider buying power. Earlier, I mentioned that Gotei service includes free room and board, and that alone is equivalent to a lifetime of wealth for someone from the lower Rukon. I mentioned earlier that I once tried to calculate the exchange rate between kan and yen using a variety of prices for various items. I wish I had kept better notes, because my main takeaway was that prices for things were not very consistent. A copy of the Seireitei Bulletin is 380 kan. Using a straight kan to yen to dollar conversion, that’s $2.80 (I am using 100 yen = $1 because it’s close enough, in case anyone was wondering). Sexy photo books of the captains cost ~$25. The budget of the Shinigami Women’s Association is $2500/year, and the Men’s is $900/year, which is roughly the cost of one pair of sunglasses. I think it must have been the sunglasses that threw me, because I kept trying to peg the cost of a pair of sunglasses to a half year’s salary. The club budgets are just honestly confusing because I have no idea what a calligraphy club budget should look like. It seemed... fine... that a club budget should be equivalent to half a year’s salary? To be honest, I think a kan should be roughly equal to a yen and the sunglasses are just priced too low. (Not a statement I ever thought I would be making).

The comment about clothes being cheaper in the World of the Living makes a lot of sense! Cloth in Soul Society is probably hand-dyed, rather than mass printed, and sewed by hand, rather than by machine. On the other hand, if you wanted goods made in traditional ways, it would be a lot cheaper to get in Soul Society. A chusen-dyed kimono is a luxury good in 2021, because you have to option to order a cheap t-shirt and sweatpants from Amazon. Everyone wears hand-made kimono in Soul Society because that’s what there is, so the price is going to be relatively lower. I do think that cost-of-living jumps sharply inside the walls of the Seireitei, and that it’s very common to do your shopping in the upper districts of Rukongai, where there are lot of highly skilled artisans making goods for the city-dwelling market. I figure that one of the few opportunities for upward mobility, aside from selling your soul to the military is to make enough money to buy your way inside the gates (either through overpriced business licenses, getting a noble patron, or by arranging a marriage to someone who already lives inside)

That being said, I have thought a lot about importing items from the WotL--shinigami usually travel through senkaimon, which do not allow for matter conversion, so they wouldn’t normally be able to bring anything with them. I imagine that it’s sort of a perk of the job that when you go on a mission where you have to go through a matter converter (which would include any time you are bringing a gigai over) you could smuggle back whatever you can fit in your kosode. It’s very strange which technology is adapted from the World of the Living (washing machines, treadmills, urinals) and what isn’t (coffee). In fanfic, it’s common to see shinigami wearing Living World clothing in their off-hours, but I don’t think that’s supported by canon or filler in any way. For my own fanfiction, because it’s fun and world-buildy, I like to pretend that Ichigo is a very popular figure after the Winter War and that World of the Living fashion, music, etc becomes popular, starting during the two-year timeskip, particularly among the younger denizens of the Seireitei, and that there are special bars and such that specialize in that kind of thing. Shinigami who have done extensive stints in the Living World are considered cool for their knowledge of such esoteric subjects as “rice cookers.”

I am done now! I swear! Thank you, everyone for reading all the way down to the bottom of possibly the nerdiest and most boring post I have ever made on this website! (wait, no, I just remembered the one on senkaimon transfer protocols. Second most boring.)

#soul society #bleach worldbuilding #weirdly enough i have just been talking about a number of these topics in my latest chapters of a little in love #i took exactly (1) economics class and it made me a monster

[phoebe-delia]

What characters are definitely Slytherins, but are not in the Harry Potter universe? As many or as few as you want to name, I’m all ears. Not literally though.

Glad to know you're not all ears ;)

So what comes to mind is actually not a fictional character, but someone who was fictionalized, and that's the former first lady of Argentina, Eva Peron, who was portrayed in the musical "Evita."

She was 100% Slytherin. She was ambitious, cunning, manipulative, a strong leader, resourceful, and she used a lot of self-preservation tactics as she rose to and maintained power. Like her or not (she's pretty controversial for a few reasons that I won't get into but you can read a good summary here), she was super powerful—arguably equal to her husband in some ways—and she was a total badass.

I highly recommend the musical. It's where "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" comes from, for those who don't know. I think it's ALW's best show.

Wbu Jet?

Send me an ask about fanfic, Harry Potter, broadway/musicals, The West Wing, and/or Taylor Swift! Or just about life in general :).

Also, I have a playlist of my 99 most listened-to songs of the year so far. Pick a number 1--99 and send me an ask and I'll write you a fic based on it!

#musicals #showtunes #andrew lloyd webber #evita musical #evita peron #eva peron #broadway

[isabellehemlock]

30 Questions Tag Game

(I was not kidding when I said I was going to catch up on these tags from the last several months lol - this one was the ethereal @amyvalhalla way back in February - I am so sorry . . .).

Rules: Answer 30 questions and tag 20 blogs you want to know better

Answers under the cut, and tagging the following peeps (though feel free to ignore!)  And I know I’m supposed to tag 20, but I’ve tagged so many people today already y’all haha:

@katt5673, @hymnsofheresy, @highbeeans, @dreamtiwasanarchitect, @fitzcamebacktome, @gryzdolnik, @ashleyrguillory, @scarlet-welly-boots, @even-after-a-millennia, @theanity, @heelipabo, @heda-of-endlesswonder, @shebattlesman, @shatterthefragments

1. Name/Nickname: Katharina/Kat

3. Star Sign: Sun Sign Scorpio, Moon Sign Leo, and Rising Sign Aquarius

2. Gender: Female

4. Height: 5′5 and a half (that half counts, darnit! 😅)

5. Time: 9:42pm

6. Birthday: Remember, remember the fifth of November . . . (It was destined for me to be a Catholic rebel haha)

7. Favorite Band: I actually don’t have one - I listen to quite the variety :)

8. Favorite Solo Artist: Same answer as above ;)

9. Song Stuck Stuck In My Head: I’ve been listening to “All I Want” by Kodaline a lot

10. Last Movie: Sailor Moon Eternal (just came out on Netflix today!)

11. Last Show: Trust FX (I still got the last two episodes to watch!)

12. When I Created This Blog: Way back in 2011 (yes, a decade ago)

13. What I Post: 99.9% TOG fandom related (content, fic, meta, art, etc.)

14. Last Thing I Googled: John Mulaney reaction GIFs lol

15. Other Blogs: nope

16. Do I get asks? I have gotten a few lovely ones before I closed my ask box back in March.  I saw too many other blogs get hate anons and I’m a bit too sensitive to process that potential when I open my app (thanks c-ptsd and anxiety)

18: Following: over 1k (but honestly that’s including like a decade worth of blogs, and I’m fairly certain I haven’t looked at maybe more than 100 max over the last year)

17. Why I Chose My URL: it was actually “petersock” for the first decade!  A combination of my husband’s and mine’s last names - now I’m “CatholicNicky” to reflect my fandom tastes, and I love talking Catholic!Nicky tropes (check out my pinned post for some posts and resources <3)

21. Lucky Number: 5, maybe?

19. Followers: 499 (I’m gonna go on a limb and suggest half are porn bots oof 😅)

20. Average Hours Of Sleep: 6ish, sometimes 7ish

22. Instruments: my voice :)

23. What Am I Wearing: (I can’t make this up . . . )  A Sailor Moon shirt I made with an iron on when I was 12, and a pair of Harley Quinn sweat pants

24. Dream Job: teaching <3

25. Favorite Food: none 👀

27. Nationality: Half American (Dad’s ancestry is Great Britain, family immigrated here 1740′s and settled near North Carolina eventually (shifting between there, Georgia, and Florida over time) - many married indigenous members of the local Cherokee and Seminole tribes over the course of 200-something years ~ I did my ancestry last year so this is all fresh on my mind haha).  And I’m half German, from my mother’s side, thanks to my parents meeting at an Army Base there <3 

28. Favorite Song: I could never pick haha

29. Last Book I Read: hm, last fic??  Haha.  Book - the Bible (I read a daily verse, though I aim for more during morning and evening prayers!)

30. Top 3 Fictional Universes I Would Like To Live In: I have literally never thought of this before 🙃  Um, I have no answer atm haha.

#tag game #30 questions

[accidentalspaceexplorer]

It is finally the end of 2020, so it’s time to look at my reading stats for the year!

Overall, I’m happy with how much I read this year, since I exceeded my goal of 100 by a good margin, but I didn’t actually like what I read this year as much. Including my ratings for the books I DNF’d this year, my average rating was 3.82/5, which is much lower than last year’s total (4.13/5). Overall, I think this happened for a couple of reasons: the pandemic meant that I wasn’t checking things out from the library for like three months so I wasn’t getting as many things I was excited about, I was more focused on my goals this year (more on that later), and I read more things outside of my comfort zone. I did read some really awesome stuff though, and I’ll have my favorites for this year up soon, but I also read a lot of stuff I didn’t like as much.

Other stats:

I DNF’d 15 books this year

I re-read 14 books this year

74% of the books I read were by female authors

I read 6 books by nonbinary and genderqueer authors

25% of the books I read were by authors of color

42% of the books I read had LGBTQIA+ representation in them

I read 9 nonfiction books

My top 3 genres were fantasy (49 books), romance (36 books), and science fiction (28 books)

It is now time for the aforementioned check-in with my goals! I have a separate post that I’ve previously used to track my goals here but I’m going to talk about the final results down below (spoiler alert I didn’t do them haha)

I definitely didn’t do very well on the goals I set for myself this year. Part of that is that each individual goal is reasonable but without doubling anything, I wanted myself to read at least 115 books to meet my goals. Given the number of books I read this year, it was doable, but it would have required me to be on top of my goals from the beginning of the year and read like no mood books, which is pretty unreasonable I think. Next year I will be setting up my goals very differently! (A separate post will be going up soon about that.)

On to the actual goals now!

finish the books that have been sitting on my Goodreads currently reading list for years - the only one left is Clariel, which is one I was re-reading as an audiobook with my husband, so since he hasn’t been in the mood for it it didn’t happen. Otherwise I was successful! I’m actually really pleased that I managed to finish the rest of them. (6/7, success)

get my physical TBR bookshelf down to one shelf of books - this one didn’t quite happen. My physical TBR is now primarily on one shelf, with the second shelf being devoted to my library TBR and a few of the physical TBR books I’d really like to get to soon. (fail)

read more romance novels - in 2019 I read 33 romance novels, and this year I read 36! By percentages it’s a failure because I read a lot more books this year, but by flat number it’s a success so I’m taking that one haha. (36/34, success)

read through the first twenty-two books on my Goodreads TBR (up through The Collapsing Empire) - I got so close on this one, but didn’t end up finishing The Collapsing Empire before the end of the year sigh. (21/22, fail)

review every book I read - I didn’t quite make it to this one, although I am planning to catch up soon. There are probably 7 books that I read for the first time this year that I haven’t writtten any kind of review for. Weirdly, almost all of them are books that I loved. (120/127, fail)

read Harrow the Ninth - success! I loved it too. (1/1, success)

read Network Effect - success! I also loved this one. (1/1, success)

read more fantasy and sci-fi romance novels - last year, I read 4 fantasy and sci-fi romance novels, and this year I read 8, so I win! (8/4, success)

read more books by non-binary authors - I read 5 books by nonbinary authors this year and one by a genderqueer author, which is much better than I have been doing. (6/3, success)

read at least 5 books in translation - I only read 3: Daughter of Fortune, Persepolis 2, and Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead. (3/5, fail)

read 2 books in Spanish - I DNF’d Cien años de soledad, does that count? (.5/2, fail)

read The Laird of Duncairn - I just didn’t do this (0/1, fail)

read Zeus Grants Terrible Wishes - I also didn’t do this (0/1, fail)

find a book club I like - I started one with my friends, which was a great way to get around my problem of not liking the selections in the book clubs I was looking at. (1/1, success)

read 4 more Discworld books, up through Maskerade - I am currently listening to Maskerade, but we’re not done with it yet. (3.5/4, fail)

read 8 nonfiction books - I read 9, although I did DNF one. I did really enjoy some of the ones I read, although there were some definite misses as well. I read The Curve of Time, Because Internet, The Lost Kingdom of the Monkey God, Organizing Success, Wait Till Next Year, Storm in a Teacup, Knitting in the Old Way, Strangers in Their Own Land, and Persepolis 2. (8.5/8, success)

read 3 volumes of poetry - I only read 2 - Felicity and the princess will save herself in this one, neither of which I liked. (2/3, fail)

read Full Fathom Five - this book was really excellent! (1/1, success)

read another book by Guy Gavriel Kay - nope (0/1, fail)

catch-up on at least 3 series - I caught up on 5 and finished 4, although I did start 3 of those in 2020. I also started 15 series, so like...not ideal. However I technically did it haha (9/3, success)

Overall, that���s 10/20, which is not great. One of the things that I really noticed by the end of the year when I was really trying to catch up on the goals was that I had really made reading into a chore. I would catch myself thinking, “No I can’t read Take a Hint, Dani Brown, I have to read Daughter of Fortune next, because it’s on the list.” and that kind of thinking really saps the fun out of reading for me. So next year, I’m not setting concrete goals like read 3 ___ books or read more ____ books, although I am going to encourage myself to read certain categories of books. More on that in the goals post!

#personal #year in review

[klhiers]

Author Bio

K.L. “Kat” Hiers is an embalmer, restorative artist, and queer writer. Licensed in both funeral directing and funeral service, they worked in the death industry for nearly a decade. Their first love was always telling stories, and they have been writing for over twenty years, penning their very first book at just eight years old. Publishers generally do not accept manuscripts in Hello Kitty notebooks, however, but they never gave up.

Following the success of their first novel, Cold Hard Cash, they now enjoy writing professionally, focusing on spinning tales of sultry passion, exotic worlds, and emotional journeys. They love attending horror movie conventions and indulging in cosplay of their favorite characters. They live in Zebulon, NC, with their husband and their children, some of whom have paws and a few that only pretend to because they think it’s cute.

FAQ

1. Where can I find your books?

You can purchase all of them through Amazon here!

2. How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing for over twenty-five years, both original works and fan fiction. I’ve always wanted to be an author, and this is a dream come true for me.

3. Do you still write fan fiction?

Nope. I will always have a great love for fan fiction and support it 100% (including filing off serial numbers for mainstream publication as I have), but I will not write it again. Moving forward, I’m only focusing on my own original works.

4. But, but, but whyyyy?

There are a lot of reasons, but the big one is that fandom is no longer a healthy space for me. I’m happy to lurk, but I’m not going to actively engage in or create any new content for fandom.

5. Do you still have a copy of (insert fan fic name)?

With a few exceptions that are posted on my Patreon for public viewing and what’s left on my AO3 page, I no longer have copies of any of my old fan fiction.

6. Favorite OTP’s?

Reno/Rufus (FF7), Gordlock (Harvey Bullock x Jim Gordon), Coldflash (Captain Cold x The Flash), Hannigram (Hannibal Lecter x Will Graham), Drowley (Dean Winchester x Crowley), and Memmy (Me x Your Mom).

7. Current Fandom Obsession?

Lurking in old ship circles. Nothing’s really got hooks in me right now. OFMD did but oof. Nope. Bye. XD

#faq #bio

[pastaprimavera]

@ccowboy tagged me fank youuuu

1. name/nickname: saul

2. gender: twink

3. star sign: leo

4. height: 5'10″

5. time: 

6. birthday: august 8th

7. favorite bands/groups: mcr, abba, the beatles (L)

8. favorite solo artist: lady gaga or tom jones or maître gims

9. song stuck in my head: be my lover by la bouche

10. last movie: #alive

11. last show: ahs freak show

12: when did i create this blog: this one probably 2017 or 16? but i’ve been on tumblr since about 2013, luv tha brain damage

13. what do i post: hyperfixations and memes

14. last thing googled: "who is tara browne” lol

15. other blogs: art blog, frog blog

16. do i get asks: sort of? once every blue moon knocks on my window to ask if im ok

17. why did i choose this url: funny word make me cringe

18. following: 241

19. followers: kdsjfjdsk literally just lost one in the last ten minutes. i’ll say its less than a thousand

20. average hours of sleep: either 3 or 12

21. lucky number: 8

22. instruments: i could play you hot cross buns on the recorder

23. what am i wearing: grey sweater and stripey pants. earrings shaped like tiny little bears

24: dream job: author of a children’s series who is also an amateur repairman and house husband

25: dream trip: would like to visit my grandmother’s childhood home in kent and her dad’s family in wales. it’s hard being an anglophobe with british roots 😔

26. favorite food: button mushrooms

27. nationality: american

28. favorite song: deliverance by the mission

29. last book read: maurice by e.m. forster

30. three fictional universes you’d like to live in: star wars, lord of the rings, the one in my head where covid’s over

i am also 100% not tagging 20 ppl but @seriouslyitsjessyca @hollowshinji @pecawn

i know i don’t talk to any of y’all 🙈 absolutely no pressure stay safe hope everyone’s having a great start to their 2021s

#tag game #lolllllllllllllllllllllllllll im tired

[chaninfused]

Candles in the Sky | Han Jisung

◤"This is who you were; warriors adorned in gold and red. Warriors hardened by the roughest hand. Warriors who knew nothing but the cold iron and the dry desert."

◤Disclaimers: Female reader insert. Fluff!! And some good old angst. Contains violence but I'm not very descriptive. Warrior au. Fantasy!! Because that's my favorite genre to write. Completely imaginary, all the ideas conveyed are false.

◤Word count: 16.6K

◤Note: Clan names Heje and Zemha are extracted from the Arabic words azzamharir (الزمهرير) which is the moon at its brightest, and alhejera (الهجيرة) which is another word for the sun's extreme temperature. They do not reference any current or past clans or tribes.

This idea is a 100% mine and any case of similarity with someone else's is purely coincidental. Events are pure fiction. Please do not take my content without my consent. Masterlist. 

◤From the author: Hello!! I'm so sorry for the delays in this story's release. They were unplanned and I tried my best to finish as soon as possible. At the end of the day, the story is finally here! Thank you for bearing with me and happy reading!

1.

"Too tight," you winced as your leather armor was tightened, barely allowing your lungs to expand.

"Sorry," your best friend, Yuna, apologized as she loosened her knots. It was almost noon, and you were helping each other get ready for the battle dawning on your clan. It was nothing new. You were warriors, and this was your preparation before walking down the aisle. You took a deep breath, checking the tightness of the armor that hugged your body.

"Good?"

"It's fine," you assured your friend before helping her tighten her own. You took turns braiding each other's hair into firm braids before applying your clan's colors on your cheeks and fixing your favored weapons into their respective places. You looked at your friend as she hefted her axe, making it seem as light as a feather. You could never fathom how much strength her petite body encompasses.

You heard the blow of a horn, calling the members of your clan out of their abodes. Wives would bid their husbands goodbye, mothers would bid their children farewell, all with wishes of victory and a safe return. You supposed it was tearful—you had nobody to part with. Nobody to wait for your safe return. It was only you and Yuna in your small house, and both of you were heading off to fight on the battleground. You prayed for luck instead.

"Let's go." Yuna strode ahead of you. The spear strapped to her back glinted in the light streaming from the windows. It was dear to her, you learned after living with the girl for so long. It was her father's weapon.

You followed suit, carrying an axe in each hand as the sword on your hip swung about. When you left your home, you spotted men and women, the young and the old, all clad in their leather suits, flaunting weapons sharpened to a red edge. Stripes of red, gold, and brown ran across their cheeks like claw marks, colors they held like crowns over their heads. Like moths gravitating towards the light, you marched away, numbers increasing until you formed an army.

The eye of heaven gazed down at you fondly, her hands of light stretching out to embrace your skin. You felt the tingle of heat and your eyes turned to the sky. The sun, the eye of heaven, sat in the blue with all her glory. She didn't neglect you as you marched towards the battlefield, keeping watch over her people. The Heje.

Soldiers of the sun.

This is who you were; warriors adorned in gold and red. Warriors hardened by the roughest hand. Warriors who knew nothing but the cold iron and the dry desert.

Warriors, you breathed when you reached the fated land. The air crackled with intensity. If you focused ahead, you'd see the army of black, green, and blue hues. The Zemha. Children of the moon.

If you were day, then they were night. Your rivals—no, your enemies.

Your clans had fought ever since this land was ridden by human feet. Every two years, the clans would meet on a land separating the desert, your home, and the mountains. You'd fight for the sun, for your fallen soldiers, for Hejera, the holder of day.

The battles came, never stopping. They were the echo of a war centuries ago, and your shouts of honor and pride were not helping the echo die out.

You heard the shrill horn again and your heart hammered inside your constrictive ribcage. The leader of your clan, the descendant of Hejera, a woman with graying hair yet timeless aura, stepped forward to meet the leader of the Zemha. The strongest of your fighters flanked her sides, the Zemha mirroring them. There was an exchange between the two ladies before the Zemha charged, a sudden move.

You could never prepare yourself enough for the fight, but whenever it came, you let your instincts guide you. Yuna was at your side as you charged alongside your people. Shouts could be heard as metal clashed on metal. You steered away from the center of the fight; your place was by the outer circle to take any unsuspecting members of the opposing clan.

Despite that, you were caught up in a brawl quite soon. You let your instincts take over as you swung your axes with all your might. You were here to kill and survive, too much thinking and you'll end up killed instead. The Zemha you'd been fighting was almost your age, a girl with a wild look in her eyes. Taking her down wasn't hard, she fought clumsily nevertheless, and you had to scoff, two years and this is what they give us? You weren't sure if the Zemha did that to insult you.

You were engaged in another fight soon, and then another, and another. It felt like time stopped, and it was only you and the sun as you swung your axe towards anybody covered with Zemha colors. Your muscles strained against your efforts. Blood was oozing out of a cut on your upper arm, one that made you rather concerned. You couldn't count all the bodies that fell, courtesy of your axe, but you knew you were fatigued.

You preferred to fight on the side because your body was weak. It had always been. You knew how to handle a weapon, you just weren't sure you could sustain that effort for long.

So, you drifted away, plunging your battle axes into any Zemha coming your way. Your vision began to blur. You had to find a Heje tent to rest. The battle behind you was still alive, roaring like newly kindled fire on a starless night.

You must've been as weary as a rag doll, for you hadn’t noticed the Zemha following you, clutching his axe firmly. It was his cry of aggression that alarmed you, but when you turned around to face your opponent, he was bringing his axe down.

•🌣•

Jisung hated the battles. They reminded him of too many things. Things he lost. People he lost. The dry, cruel land would bring him back to his first battle, eight years ago. Oh, how he wished it was his last.

But it was his duty to fight. It was an honor to be in the lines protecting Zemharir's legacy, avenging her. So when he fought, he fought with all the anger and sadness pent up in his heart. The Heje were the cause of his everlasting misery. He made sure to make them feel the pain of loss. The same pain they had inflicted on him.

Jisung was fighting for his life when he noticed a weary-looking Heje stray away. It was a girl who held two axes in her hands, fighting with them as if they were mere extensions of her body. From where he stood, he could see that her moves were slow, her steps were drowsy, and her stance was hunched.

She must be looking for a camp to rest, he thought as he avoided a swing of his opponent's sword, deciding to swing his axe the other way. The Heje's knees buckled when the axe hit his side, and the warrior in gold and red was down moments later. Jisung huffed, glancing at the sharp side of his axe, now covered in the blood of many Heje soldiers. He didn't waste time, running towards the unsuspecting Heje as soon as he could.

He followed her for a while, until they were both far from the center of the battle, close to a valley. The valleys were a dangerous place to be, he knew that very well, but he wasn't planning on dueling there for long.

He lifted his axe, stepping closer to the unaware Heje. With a vicious cry, he brought it down, aiming for her neck. But the Heje was quick to deflect his blow, her reflexes not betraying her. She growled, displeased to have been caught off guard. Her other axe swung towards Jisung's side, but he slipped away from its range like a cat. He collected himself, clutching his axe tighter. The Heje glared at him, her face covered in gold, red, and brown paint. He noticed that her right arm was injured, and he decided he'll be exploiting that weakness.

There was something oddly familiar about that Heje, Jisung opted for thinking he saw her in a past battle.

He aimed for her injured arm, but his axe was met with hers once more. The effort she was putting was evident on her face, it was as if she was straining her muscles to swing the heavy axe. Jisung was not sympathetic. He swung again, their little duel driving them closer to the edge of the cliff. She deflected, again, swinging her other axe into his arm. Jisung could barely avoid her blow, receiving a scrape on his exposed arm instead. Skies, why does she have two axes? He thought, wondering why didn't he get two axes himself as well.

His attention was divided. He had to look out for each of her axes while focusing on his own weapon. The Heje's aim was shaky, as if she could barely see. This shouldn't be a hard fight, Jisung told himself, she can't even aim right.

With that mindset, he lifted his axe, deciding to aim for her neck once more. She didn't deflect his blow, instead, she swirled away, finding a chance to plunge her axe in his leather-covered torso. Jisung's axe caught her long braid instead, cutting the battle-styled hair. A cry of pain left his lips as he saw the strands of hair fall; her axe was in his side.

Jisung cursed as his knees began to give up, bringing him down to kiss the ground. His free hand went to his side, where the axe pierced the leather, and he felt a warm, sticky liquid cover his fingers. Fuck. It was his blood. And it was coming out in startling amounts.

There was no one to aid him now, it was only the Heje who stared down at his vulnerable body. No, he thought, if I'm going down, then so are you.

With the little strength left in his body, Jisung swung his axe at her legs, catching her calves. His hit didn't injure her as much as he wished it would, the boots she wore were thick enough to impede the blow. He hoped he left a scratch at least. Nevertheless, she came toppling to the sandy ground, it was as if her legs had waited to do that.

Jisung watched her figure crumble on the edge of the cliff, only then did he realize how dangerously close they were to the edge. Be pushed the long strands of hair that fell over his face back, wincing as he tried to sit up. Jisung dragged himself to where the Heje laid, planning to have the final blow. She was unmoving, her arms thrown limply over her body while her hands still clutched her axes. The cut on her arm still bled, tinting the golden sand red.

Jisung took a shaky breath, sitting up as he lifted his heavy axe, his whole body threatening to give out any moment. The Heje didn't flinch. This will be quick.

Were his actions barbaric? He didn't waste any effort to think about that. It was either kill or be killed.

"May the eye of heaven watch over you," he muttered as he brought his axe down on her neck, only stopping when he noticed familiar shapes inked on her upper arm.

A swirl of colors, black, blue, and green, and a name written in carefully structured letters. A name he knew too well. Jisung's breath caught in his lungs as his gaze traveled over the Heje. He dropped his axe on the side, it can't be-

It can't be, he saw the massacre, he witnessed that with his own eyes. It can't be. He was going to kill that girl!

He tried to focus on the tattoo, ignoring the pain that stabbed his side. He traced the very tattoo on his arm a hundred times before, drowning in sorrow as he remembered the person who carried a similar one. It was that grief that fueled him in every battle with the Heje. It simply can't be-

Jisung must've been too overwhelmed, for he didn't notice the Heje girl lift her axe and slam it down the unstable ground with all her might. A rumble is what caught his attention, but it was too late.

They were tumbling down the cliff. 

2.

You didn't remember losing consciousness, but you woke up finding yourself amid sandy rocks. The battlefield was a clear, flat land. Where am I?

You heard a groan near you, and you sat up straight, the sudden movement sending a jolt of pain through your body. You turned to spot a boy, seemingly around your age. You couldn't see his face clearly, for strands of long, black hair fell over his eyes messily, but you knew he was an enemy. The black, blue, and green colors he wore were enough to remind you of what happened.

You remembered how he followed you and attacked when you were least expecting. You remembered how his axe chopped off part of your braid, and you remembered how you drove your axe into the ground, disturbing the unstable rock and sending you both down the valley. You noticed how he clutched his side, and you felt a sense of pride wash over you. That injury was your work.

You must've been staring at him for long because the boy snapped his head up to look at you.

"You're alive," he said, and you couldn't tell if you imagined the relief in his voice. You didn't reply, but instead looked around to find your axes thrown carelessly on the ground. Your legs wobbled as you pulled yourself up. Your body was still weak. When you collected your weapons, you made your way to the vulnerable Zemha. His eyes widened as he saw you approach and he shuffled around, too weak to defend himself.

"You can't kill me," he stared at you, doe-eyed through the strands of hair that fell over his face. His hand was still on his wound, and you didn't believe that would help fix anything.

"Why not?" You gripped the handle of your battle axe tighter. He tried to kill you, even when you were lying there helplessly. Even if you thought of having any mercy on him, you weren't going to show it.

"It's not fair, you're injured and so am I. We could help each other out of this instead of dying here," he reasoned, voice unnaturally calm, not as if the person standing before him was intending to kill him.

There was something strangely familiar about the boy, as if you'd seen him in a distant dream. You couldn't quite put a finger on it.

"And how will we get out of here?" You questioned. You doubted anyone, from either clan, would find you here. Your heart became heavy, you'd die and Yuna wouldn't know about it.

He didn't respond, appearing to be deep in thought.

"What can you do Zemha? How will you get us out of here?" You pressed, finding this exchange rather unpleasant.

The Zemha opened his mouth to reply, but you heard nothing. You only felt a horrible sting between your shoulder blades, and you were suddenly numb. You could make out the figure of the Zemha, struggling to stand and reach you. You felt yourself floating—no, falling, and you couldn't stop your fall. The last thing you remember was a flash of white and light blue before you lost all connection with the world.

•🌣•

You remembered being on sandy grounds, why did you feel hard rock under you instead? Why did the air feel cold?

Your eyes fluttered open at the strange sensation and you were met with a white wall. Skies, what is this place?

You used an arm to help yourself up, sitting as you looked around in confusion. You were in a room. Three white walls, and a set of bars surrounded you. A prison? You wondered, looking past the bars to see yet another wall.

You tried standing up. Although your legs seemed a bit shaky, you didn't feel as tired as you did before. You felt like you'd just awoken from long, comfortable slumber. You glanced at your injured arm, expecting to see a nasty cut, but instead, you saw a piece of fine cloth wrapped around your upper arm. You touched your face, hands reaching for your hair unconsciously. You ran your fingers through it, feeling its ends before they should've arrived. You were definitely dismayed, that disgusting Zemha had the audacity to chop off your own hair. Unbelievable.

Your eyes scanned the rest of the small room before they stopped on a familiar figure. Great, you were stuck in some strange prison with the Zemha you already hated so much.

You noticed that his wound was treated, white cloth peeked out of the bloodied cut in his leather suit, and just like you, his bicep was wrapped in white cloth. You debated waking him up for a moment before you agreed to enjoy the silence alone.

Slumping down the wall, you sat and closed your eyes, following your breaths. In, out. In-

"The Heje is up!"

Your eyes shot open and you were met with people in white robes, scrutinizing you beyond the bars. Robes, you thought, very few people wore those long, stuffy garments, but you were quick to recognize their trimmed hair, blue eyes, and prim appearance.

The Daulla, a tribe that believed itself above everyone else. The Zemha and the Heje were the biggest clans on the land; the Daulla had excluded themselves from their battles and traditions. The Heje considered them rebels since they were formed by people who didn't believe in the great battle. People who denied the existence of Hejera and Zemharir. That alone was enough for your clan to exile them from the land.

You glared back at them, making it known that you were still heated up from the fight. Some of them whispered amongst themselves while others were busy writing on papers they carried.

"When will the Zemha awake?" One asked, looking somewhere away from the room. You scoffed inwardly, are we show animals?

Perhaps they considered you to be, for one of those robed men stepped closer to the bars and yelled at your companion to wake up. You gaped at his actions. Sure, you hated the Zemha, but you were equally revolted by the Daulla.

The Zemha boy was startled awake, and you almost felt sympathy for him. He looked around, in the same confusion you were in, before his gaze settled on the onlookers standing beyond the bars. He stared at them before looking away, seemingly realizing who they were. His eyes found yours and you didn't know if you'd imagined the relief in his eyes, again.

He tried to stand. The Daulla watched with interest as the Zemha took shaky steps towards you, finally sitting not too far away. You didn't say anything but watched him intently. The Daulla, on the other hand, were becoming loud.

"They're interacting!" One of them exclaimed, "we must bring the queen to see this!"

The others seemed to agree with him, for they all hurried away like travelers who found an oasis in the scorching desert.

They left you with the Zemha in that small, white room. You hated it. It was cold; you wanted to feel the sun's rays on your skin. The boy next to you seemed just as uncomfortable.

"We're in the Daulla city," he stated what you already knew.

"I know."

He didn't say anything after that, but resorted to staring at the white ceiling. You supposed he noticed his treated wound a while later, but he didn't give any reaction to that. He simply touched his bandaged bicep and looked away, however bringing your attention towards the ink that peeked out of the white cloth.

You didn't know how you missed it, but there were some indiscernible shapes tattooed on his upper arm, accompanied by a name inked in small letters. It reminded you of a mark you covered every day, one that rested on the same place on your arm. You squinted, trying to read the small script discreetly.

"Jisung?" You read out loud, eyes widening when the boy snapped his head towards you, an unexplainable expression drawn on his face. He looked at you with a mixture of shock and sadness, as if hearing that word brought unpleasant memories.

"Yes, that's my name," the Zemha answered and you wanted to disappear into the white walls for creating an awkward situation. Now he knew you'd been staring at the half-covered tattoo on his arm, and you'll most likely need to introduce yourself as well.

After a break of awkward silence, Jisung chuckled, brushing his hair out of his face, "you know my name now, won't you introduce yourself?"

You looked at the face of the Zemha you were about to kill out there, hating this turn of events. Why was he looking at you with such gentleness? You brushed off the odd familiarity he had, diverting your gaze to the ground as you replied, "y/n."

"Y/n," he repeated, as if your name was a foreign sweet to savor.

Your interaction ended then, and you lapsed into silence. The same Daullas came back, following them were two Daullas robed in light blue. One of them was a woman, age had done a fine work of the wrinkles on her skin and the white of her hair, and the other was a young man, his blonde hair parted and fixed into place.

"Here they are, your majesty," one of the robed men spoke to the lady in blue, whom you learned was the queen.

The queen of the Daulla studied you, eyes boring into every inch of your being.

"See, my son," she looked at the young man in blue robes, "look at the barbarism of their appearance. They are but mere savages."

"I see, mother," he replied, but he looked at you with sadness in his eyes, as if he hated seeing you two trapped in that room.

"Getting rid of such species is a service to this land," she concluded, and you furrowed your eyebrows, what does she mean?

The queen left, the group of Daullas scampering behind closely like dogs following their owner. The prince's gaze lingered on you for a while before he too, followed the queen, leaving you to ponder upon the queen's words.

Hours passed as you remained in that closed space. You were becoming jittery. You didn't appreciate being away from the sun and the open air. A new group of Daullas would stop by the room to look at you and your Zemha companion, and it took everything in you to ignore their curious looks.

The visits began to decrease by time until they stopped completely, or so you thought.

You assumed night had arrived and they'd all went to sleep—you couldn't determine anything from the closed, windowless room. You watched the torches on the other side of the bars flicker, their flames creating some kind of comfort. Jisung sighed, disturbing the silence you shared, and you glanced at him from the corner of your eye. A sigh was all, yet it encompassed every thought. You too, had to sigh.

You couldn't tell what your companion was thinking about, but you were thinking about home. About your best friend, Yuna. You only had each other. You weren't planning on separating this early. What will you do now? Were you going to stay there, weaponless and helpless, as those Daullas came to watch in curiosity? When you came falling down the cliff, this wasn't what you had in mind.

You continued to watch the flame flicker, finding entertainment in the small shadows it made. Those shadows began to grow in size, and you were able to make out the shadow of someone approaching. You predicted it would be another silly Daulla, but instead of white robes, you saw the prince in a cloak as black as the night sky itself walk towards you.

Jisung shared your confusion as you watched the Daulla prince mess with something on the wall. You couldn't see what he was doing but you heard a click bounce off the walls when he was done. Wordlessly, he stepped towards the bars and pushed one of them sideways as if it was a sliding door, and to your surprise, the whole set of bars moved along, disappearing into a gap in the opposite wall. You stared suspiciously at the prince who now stood where the bars once were, is he... setting us free?

"I know you don't trust me," he spoke, his voice unnaturally low, "but you need to get out of here."

You glanced at Jisung, and you exchanged a look of doubt.

"Here," the prince said as he dragged a sack into the room, "I'm giving you your weapons as well."

It took everything in you not to lunge at the bag and retrieve your precious axes. But you decided to stay back and wait for the Zemha to make a move. You weren't going to act stupidly, at least not alone.

When neither of you moved, the prince bent down, reaching a hand into the sack and pulling out one of your axes. He offered it, placing it on the ground, "I'm not here to hurt you, I'm here to help."

"Please, trust me," he urged, a sense of desperation in his voice. You studied his face for a while, taking in his gentle eyes and the freckles that spread across his cheeks like little stars. He didn't seem like he had bad intentions. Even if he did, he'd just returned your weapons to you. You could end him right where he stood.

You decided to comply, standing up and picking your axe from the ground. You met the prince's hopeful gaze, "I hope you know that if you were tricking us, we could kill you like the savages we are." You made sure to enunciate, referencing the queen's offensive words.

"I will pose no harm to you. I am here to help you and your people," he promised, a hand on his heart.

You pulled out the rest of your weapons from the bag before turning to Jisung.

"Get up Zemha, we're leaving this place."

3.

The prince, who introduced himself as Felix, had ushered you and Jisung out of the holding cell, through the foreign Daulla buildings, and to the chilly air of the night. He said that he excused the guards patrolling the area, but they would come back soon, so you made your way out of the city as fast as possible.

The prince had provided you and Jisung with cloaks to hide your identities, in case you stumbled upon any Daulla citizens.

You reached the borders of the city sooner than you thought, and you realized how small the city was. A huge wall stood between you and the outer world. You suspected you would have to climb over it, but Felix showed you a door hidden in the rock. It was inconveniently small, so you had to squeeze yourself through.

The prince stayed behind as you entered, Jisung following behind you. As he pushed himself out of the small space, Jisung felt a horrible stab at his side. He must've opened the healing wound as he twisted in the door. He bit his tongue to stop any sounds from leaving, trying to stay as quiet as possible. Despite the dark, you were able to discern the pained expression on his face when he stood near you. A small part of you wanted to ask if he was okay, but most of you still despised his existence. You watched the door, waiting for Felix to make his way out. He's not going to leave us alone here, right?

Resting your thoughts, the prince's blond hair soon poked out of the door, followed by the rest of him, almost tripping and tangling himself in his cloak. You shook your head, deciding you didn't need a clumsy prince with you after all.

Felix stood up, dusting himself and patting his hair to make sure it was still neat. You rolled your eyes, Daullas.

"What now, Daulla?" Jisung inquired and the prince responded kindly, "let us move far from the city gates and then I'll explain."

You raised an eyebrow, turning to look at the Zemha as if to ask, what do you think?

Jisung seemed to receive your message and he shrugged in reply.

"Lead the way then," you mentioned for the prince to move, letting one of your axes rest on your shoulder.

"Of course, follow me."

The Daulla city became a small figure in the distance as you trekked further into the valley. The dark was making you uncomfortable, and your eyes kept searching for a stick to light up and use as a torch. After a while of walking, the prince stopped and turned around to face you two. "We can stop here, for now."

You were surrounded by the walls of the valley, only featureless land around you. What is this prince planning?

You followed suit hesitantly as he seated himself on the rough ground, clutching your axes for assurance. Jisung visibly grimaced as he tried to sit and you didn't know what made you do it, but you stood up, dropped your axes, and held his shoulders, supporting him to sit. Something flickered in his eyes when he looked at you in surprise, endearment, perhaps?

You had to brush off that sense of Deja vu again as you sat, deciding to say nothing about your sudden help. Even you didn't know what to make of it.

Felix watched your exchange with fond wonder, as if he was a kid listening to his favorite tale.

When you all settled, the Daulla cleared his throat, "before saying anything, I'd like to reintroduce myself."

"I am the prince of the Daulla, Lee Felix," he began, "but you can consider me a friend. I will not hurt you."

You didn't know if his words were meant to comfort you. It felt as if he was trying to convince himself rather than you two.

"You must be wondering, why would the prince help us break free from his own city? Well," he paused, "I wanted to warn your people."

"What do you mean?" Jisung asked, alarmed.

"I mean, the Daulla are planning an attack on both clans," Felix stated, and you lifted an eyebrow questioningly, "why are you telling us this?"

"I supposed you've figured it out by now," Felix chuckled awkwardly, "I am not like the other Daullas."

"The Daulla think that other tribes or clans are beastly, barbaric creatures, not people like them. It’s because you fight and kill each other, because you believe in the existence of two sisters who control day and night. These things go against what a Daulla is taught yet I, the prince, don't agree with my people," he sighed, "the Heje and the Zemha are people just like us. I hated how they'd study your behavior and act as if you're a strange species when in reality, the Daulla's ancestors were Heje and Zemha."

"They plan on attacking your villages and taking your people for whatever inhumane reason—the queen said they'll "civilize" them. When I heard they'd caught a Zemha and a Heje, injured from battle, I knew I had to take my chance," Felix confessed before adding, "they're planning to attack during the third battle."

"When we're weaker and lesser on the field," you muttered, feeling your blood boil in your veins. You fought with the Zemha all the time. But you had set times. They never attacked out of the blue and neither did you. The Daullas were the real savages here.

"Exactly," Felix nodded, confirming your conclusion.

You felt the Zemha shift about next to you, as if he was trying to hoist himself up.

"We must get going then. The second battle is in a week, precisely, we need to stop them," Jisung said and you heard heavy concern in his voice. Jisung was definitely worried, but he was more furious, his protective instincts kicking in. As someone who'd spent a large portion of his life defending his people, the knowledge that a threat was lurking around didn't sit with him well. Injured or not, he was determined to reach his village in the mountains by sunrise.

"Not so fast," the prince objected, giving the Zemha a pointed look, "you need to get your wound treated first."

"Excuse me?"

"I saw you wince and grimace around, clutching your side. You weren't being discreet," Felix tut-tutted, "if there's one thing I don't understand about you, it's that you don't care about tending your wounds. You'd rather move forward."

You stared at the Daulla, not knowing what to respond with. His words were unfortunately true, your people didn't care much, not when there's a threat lying around.

"Let me help you, I have my healing kit with me," Felix offered, pulling out a small bag that he wore around his waist. He looked at the boy with dark hair, waiting for him to say something, but Jisung only rejected his offer, glancing at you before saying, "I can deal with it on my own."

The prince raised an eyebrow, he didn't have to speak to make it known that he doubted that statement. He brought his attention to you instead, "what do you think, Heje?"

What do I think? You repeated in your head, flustered to be put in this situation. If this was any other day, you would've wanted the Zemha to die, but now, you were against a bigger, common enemy... doesn't that make you allies? If he died because of his wound along the way, there would be no one to deliver the news to the Zemha—you doubted they'd listen to a Heje sauntering into their village.

You met Jisung's eyes, which were set on you for a while now. "Let the prince help you."

"You can't be serious-"

"You heard the lady, come on Zemha," Felix cut him off rather cheerfully, patting the ground in front of him, "you can spread your cloak here and we'd have a, somewhat, clean place to work."

The Zemha boy only glared, as if he was being told to throw his weapons away, or something just as absurd. You didn't know where that urge came from, but you touched his arm gently, lowering your voice, "listen to him, Jisung. He wants to help."

It was your axe that created that wound; the pride you felt earlier was nowhere to be found as you encouraged your supposed enemy not to die. Jisung seemed to find your actions weird as well and there it was, that flash of endearment in his gaze. He looked at you for a moment, wanting to say something, but he settled with a sigh instead, "fine."

You helped him spread his cloak on the ground and lay down before letting the prince take over. If Yuna saw you right then, she would've smacked you for not running a knife through the Zemha's heart. You didn't know what to think anymore.

It's fine, you convinced yourself, this is only because his survival ensures the safety of the Heje as well. 

4.

Jisung couldn't believe that you were alive and talking to him, not after he saw the Heje take you away with his own eyes. How did you survive?

The last time he saw you, you were a scrawny little girl who'd eagerly begged her father to join the fight. But now, a woman stared back at him, all fierce gazes and axes brandished. It knocked the wind out of his lungs.

His heart ached when you wrapped your arms around his shoulders, supporting his body as he sat. You didn't know him, or so you acted, but your actions took him eight years back, when you two were tied like a double knot. Inseparable. Jisung longed for those days. Seeing that you, the person he grieved for every night in sorrow, were physically with him made his mind go blank.

You were so close yet so far from his grasp.

You called him a Zemha, as if you aren't one. You said his name, unsure, yet it sounded like a call for battle to his ears. He was sure you recognized the shapes on his arm—you had the very tattoo on your own arm. How could you pretend to not know him? What kind of torture is the world casting upon his brittle heart?

The truth is, the only reason he complied with Felix's request was that you'd asked him to, so gently that for a second there, he thought his childhood friend was back. Jisung tried not to wince or turn away as the Daulla prince dabbed something into his wound. It stung, badly, but he didn't want to look pathetic after stubbornly refusing help.

His eyes fell on you for a distraction. You were giving them your back for the little privacy you could offer, playing with a flint you carried with you. Jisung felt guilty as the wind blew at your unevenly cut hair. What was once a long, beautiful braid was gone, to be replaced by hair that barely reached past your shoulders.

While Jisung was gazing at you intently, lost in thought, he didn't realize that the prince was done cleaning his wound, nor did he notice the weird look he gave him. The Daulla prince had questions, topping them all would be: why was the Zemha looking at the Heje as if she was a darling bloom in a glass vase?

The prince cleared his throat, startling Jisung and taking his attention away from the Heje girl. "You're all set."

Jisung glanced at his torso, now wrapped in a new cloth, before pushing himself up and muttering short thanks. He tried to avoid pressuring his middle as he stood, securing parts of his armor back in place.

"You might want to lessen fights," the prince commented as Jisung picked up his axe rather forcefully. The latter glowered at him and Felix cleared his throat awkwardly, avoiding eye contact, "we need the wound to heal. Twisting around and engaging in brawls will only undo all of the progress your body has made."

Now, Jisung was looking at the Daulla as if he was going mad, "I didn't ask for your advice."

"I hope you know how ridiculous you just sounded," you interjected, glaring at the Daulla prince, "we've no time to wait for wounds to heal, prince, time is nobody's pet. A fight is coming, and it's bigger than any we've experienced. Save your Daulla teachings for the coming pause."

The poor Daulla felt rather attacked by your words. All he wanted to do was help!

"I'm sorry," he murmured, not knowing what wrong did he commit by simply advising the Zemha boy. Their honor is surely easy to scratch.

"Where should we start?" You ignored the prince's apology, finding the mission in your hands more important.

"Oh, yes," the prince perked up, "the Zemha is the closest to us, we should start there."

"Are you sure?" You wanted to go to your village first.

"Yes, the mountains are very close and there's a Zemha village at the base," he nodded and Jisung added, "that's my village."

Great, you wanted to roll your eyes but you only shrugged, "let's get going then."

Your trek was silent, only the occasional howl of wind could be heard. Despite his injury, Jisung matched your pace and you were sure if it were the Daulla prince, he'd be meters behind. You were enjoying the silence, it was better than talking with an airheaded Daulla or a strange Zemha, but it seemed like the prince had other thoughts.

"The stars look beautiful," he breathed, head lifted to the sky.

"Of course they do. It's the night after battle, these are our fallen clanmates," you said matter-of-factly, "we call them the soldiers of the sun."

Jisung scoffed beside you, "no, they're called the children of the moon and they're our fallen, not yours."

"Excuse me?" You stopped walking and turned to face the Zemha boy. The fallen were sacred, no one insulted them.

"What?" Jisung challenged.

"The stars belong to us, they are bits and pieces of the sun to keep us safe in the dark of night," you argued but the Zemha had something to refute with, "no, they aren't. They are pieces of the moon to ensure her light reaches everyone."

"You must be out of your mind!" You threw your hands in the air, waving your axes haphazardly and the Zemha stepped away. You turned towards the Daulla prince, "prince, tell him he's spouting nonsense."

"Uh," the prince looked at you then at Jisung, as if evaluating his chances before deciding he'll take a risk. "Actually, both of you are spouting nonsense. The stars are but mere stars. They light up the sky and guide travelers, you can think of them as candles in the sky."

"Your fallen however," he hesitated, "go to the ground."

Candles, you scoffed, "whatever." What did you expect a Daulla to say?

You stomped away, leaving the two boys behind to catch up. How dare the Zemha claim the stars?! They were Hejera's, and they will always be! You couldn't help but feel angered, who do they think themselves?

You also needed something to light up—the dark is a disgrace. But the land was barren, and rocks wouldn't do any good. You wanted to get out of this valley as soon as possible.

The boys caught up with you sooner than you wished, but they remained silent. No comments about the stars or who they belonged to, which you were grateful for. You'd hate to run your axe through one of your companions, despite it being very tempting. They are all enemies of the Heje anyways.

You reached the slanted edge of a cliff, one you could walk over to reach the top, and the prince suggested you move forward on the route. You didn't object, the idea of leaving the valley was enough to get you moving.

When you reached the top, you looked behind you to see the prince aiding Jisung forward. The look on the Zemha's face was far from pleased, or grateful on that accord, and he quickly shrugged off the Daulla's arm when they reached the top. You did not miss the prince's crestfallen expression.

"I suppose you should lead us from here on," you told Jisung. You were in Zemha premises, neither you nor the prince knew where to go.

The Zemha nodded, then pointed towards the forest on the right, "we should go through the forest."

"You must keep in mind that it's still night," the Daulla interjected, "it'll be better if we found a place to rest, then we head to the village as soon as the sun rises."

You contemplated Felix's suggestion. No one would be awake at this time in the night, besides, you were quite exhausted yourself.

"The prince is right, we should rest first," you agreed, and that's how you found yourselves trudging through the forest, following Jisung's lead.

Along the way, Felix tried to converse with you. He hoped you'd be a bit easier to talk to than the Zemha boy, who only gave him one-worded replies. He was genuinely curious about you, finding your drastically different beliefs and lifestyles the most intriguing.

You tried avoiding his questions, but you soon gave in to correct the misconceptions he had about your people. You told him the story of Hejera and Zemharir, the sisters who held day and night in their hands. You told him about how they fought, how Zemharir was jealous of her sister and the day she gave, how she tried to take over with her dark blanket, how she killed Hejera and created the biggest, shiniest star in the sky, how the Heje promised revenge for their leader, how you went to battle the killers of the holder of day.

The prince listened to you attentively. Your version of the story was different. It made much more sense than the one he studied as a little Daulla. But he knew that it was only your interpretation, the Zemha had another variation of the legend of day and night.

And they did, Jisung couldn't believe what was coming out of your mouth. He could hear you talking to the Daulla prince and his heart was tinged with slight jealousy. You'd rather talk to a Daulla who believed you were all deranged rather than someone who believes in a portion of what you believe? But again, he didn't have the courage to speak to you either.

Jisung couldn't tell if you were joking or being completely serious when you explained the legend of day and night. He remembers learning it with you when he was just a child, and he couldn't believe how you got everything mixed up! Zemharir didn't attack Hejera, it was Hejera. She didn't want to share her light with her sister. She then became furious when her sister managed to collect enough light for the moon to shine. Hejera killed Zemharir, it wasn't the other way around, and the North Star was born. It was the soul of the holder of night. What happened to you in those eight years?

Jisung decided he wouldn't interrupt your conversation and instead focused on finding a place for you three to rest. He'd settled for a place close to the village, but discreet enough for you to rest without getting noticed. You'd wandered around the place, collecting sticks and twigs to light up, before going back to your spot and dumping them on the ground. Jisung's eyes followed your actions as you piled the sticks up in a little pyramid, and they widened in alarm when you pulled out your flint and steel.

"What are you doing?!" He whisper-exclaimed, holding your wrist before you could strike the two pieces together.

"Starting a fire," you answered simply, pulling your wrist free.

"You can't do that!"

"Why not?" You gave him a pointed look. In the center of your village, a large fire burned at night. Every Heje settlement honored Hejera that way. You'd make light in Zemharir's night. Accepting the dark of the night was just another way of saying you were a Zemha. You weren't.

"Because," Jisung's voice trailed away. Kindling a fire in the open night was the most Heje thing one could do. It was a protest against Zemharir and the hardships she went through to bring light to the moon. He would not do that or allow it on his watch. "Don't disgrace Zemharir this way."

"I am disgracing my origins by sitting here in the dark," you snapped, "I've endured enough as we were walking."

"Well, you're in Zemha premises. You have to follow our rules," Jisung argued and you were about to remind him that your axe is the cause of his pain before the prince cleared his throat, rather loudly. "It will be preferable for you to avoid kindling any fires for the rest of the night. We'd be better off not grabbing any attention."

You gave Felix a sharp look, not him again.

"Fine."

The Zemha seemed to relax as he tore his attention from you to the ground. You sat in silence, playing with the sticks you gathered uninterestedly.

Seeing that nothing was going to happen, Felix wished the both of you a good night and closed his eyes to get some rest. You tried doing the same, but despite your exhaustion, your body refused to relax. You were in your house that morning, and now you were near a Zemha village, having escaped with the Daulla prince. How did your day become so eventful?

When you closed your eyes, images of your home and Yuna flashed in your mind. She must think you were killed or taken captive by the Zemha. You wished there was a way to tell her that you were alive and free. You hated seeing her sad.

You opened your eyes with a sigh, deciding you'd rather not dwell on your thoughts. You noticed Jisung, who leant on a tree to your left, unwrapping the cloth that encircled his upper arm. He couldn't sleep either.

You told yourself to stop staring at the tattoo, which became clearer with no cloth covering half of it. How could you not, when the tattoo was a replica of the one you carried on your own arm?

You were confused. You'd always been told to cover your tattoo. You never knew what it meant. Why would a Zemha boy have the same design inked on his arm?

Jisung caught you staring, and the dark did a good job of hiding the redness that tinted his cheeks. "What is it?"

"Nothing," you shook your head, "it's just that..."

"Just what?" The Zemha raised an eyebrow inquiringly and you hesitated before blurting, "I have the same tattoo."

"And?" Jisung waited for you to say something. Did you recognize it? Did you recognize him?

"It's strange, why would that happen?"

Well, that's one way to crush someone's heart, Jisung thought, hating the sense of disappointment that bore into his chest.

"S-So you don't know?" He asked cautiously, making you furrow your eyebrows, "know what?"

The boy took a shaky breath, what happened to his childhood friend?

"Y/n, what do you know about your parents?"

5.

"They died when I was little, why?" You were beyond confused. Why was the Zemha boy asking about your parents? And why did he say that with so much... sadness?

"That's all you know?" He whispered, and you could see the glimmer dim in his eyes.

"I was very young, I don't remember anything," you defended, realizing how little you knew about your family before you met Yuna.

"Y/n-" Jisung stopped, shaking his head dismissively as he muttered, "you won't believe me anyways."

You caught his words, "believe what? Is there something I don't know about?"

He stayed silent, which only built up your frustration. "Speak, Zemha, don't waste my time."

"Don't call me that," his tone was soft, as if he were to break into sobs at any moment.

"What?"

"Zemha."

"Isn't that what you are?"

"It is, but so are you."

"Excuse me?" What is this boy rambling about?

"Your parents did die when you were little. So did mine. They were killed in a battle," he met your eyes in the dark, "by the Heje."

Jisung didn't let you interject, "you must not remember, y/n."

"Eight years ago, a battle you've begged your parents to fight in. The Heje were more than us, far more than us. It was a massacre. They slaughtered our men like cattle, then they set our houses on fire. They killed both my parents and yours that day, and they took you away."

"The tattoo you're asking about," he exhaled, as if recalling those memories was tiring, "the Heje might not do this, but the Zemha do. We assign battle partners to look after each other during a fight.

"My parents and yours... they were the closest of friends. It was only natural for them to make their children battle partners. The tattoos are just for that."

You stayed silent, whatever you had in your mind was too messy to put into words. Jisung took that as a sign to continue, finding no urge to stop. You forgot everything you'd went through with him. It was his responsibility to help you remember.

"We grew up together, y/n, at the base of the mountain, under the gentle moon," he recollected, "do you not remember?"

Although he expected your reaction, Jisung's heart still wept when he heard you say, "that's not true."

"My parents were killed by your people, and I had to grow up an orphan with my friend. You're lying," you accused, feeling your voice tremble. It can't be true.

"Is that what they fed you?" He asked, disheartened, "how could you explain the matching tattoos then?"

"They- they're just...," your voice became smaller. You had no explanation.

"I don't know what did they do to you there," he said, "but you belong to Zemharir. You belong with us, y/n."

6.

It was too messy. You heard screams, swords clashing, your name amongst the chaos, and the crackle of fire. All you saw was the flames, mighty and tall as they reached for the sky. You were being pulled, your sword free from your grasp. Your head hurt.

And then you woke to clear skies. The sun had begun to rise, you noticed from the light hues of the sky. You exhaled, letting out a breath you didn't know you were holding. You didn't remember falling asleep. It's only a dream.

You looked around you, realizing that the boys were already up. The prince noticed you and smiled, "good morning."

"Why didn't you wake me up?" You replied, ignoring his greeting. This was not a good morning, you had to visit the Zemha and warn them.

"He didn't want to disturb you," the prince gestured towards Jisung, who sat a bit farther.

You looked at the Zemha, remembering the story he told you a few hours ago. He had to be lying, there was no way you were Zemha. You were Heje and you knew it, you'd always been. Right?

Then what would explain the matching tattoos?

You didn't say anything, and Felix sensed the awkwardness that hung in the air. He stood up, rather enthusiastically as he clapped his hands, "now that we're all up, I suppose we should get going."

Jisung's head snapped towards the Daulla before he realized that you were awake. He gazed at you silently, yearning clear in his eyes. He said nothing as he stood up and gave the both of you his back, finding his way out of the forest.

Felix's eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement. He glanced at you, then at the now distant Zemha and wondered, what happened between these two? He knew you weren't friends per se, but something changed while he slept. It was as if you'd fought.

"I guess we should be following him," the prince chuckled nervously as he extended a hand to help you up. You didn't take it as you pushed yourself to stand. "We should."

Something's definitely wrong, Felix thought as he brought his hand back awkwardly.

You fixed your cloak around your shoulders and hurried after the Zemha boy. The Daulla prince followed closely behind, trying to figure out what happened while he was asleep. You were soon by the edge of the forest and you heard Jisung mutter, "put your hoods on and stay close."

He didn't wait for you as he took long strides out of the forest and into the village it surrounded. You tried to keep up with his pace as you glanced at the cottages you passed by. You'd never seen a Zemha village before, and you were taken aback by the dark colors surrounding you. You refused to believe that this was your old home.

If you were intrigued, then the Daulla prince was utterly fascinated. Daulla cities were drastically different. They were more complex in both the architecture and the distribution. The simplicity of the Zemha village was beautiful.

You had to clear your throat, reminding him, "stop gawking, you'll gather attention."

"Sorry," the prince whispered an apology and lowered his hood. Your walk through the village went undisturbed until you heard a gasp coming from the side.

"Jisung, you're alive!" A woman, whose eyes spoke of exhaustion yet smiled as if kindness is all she knew, came running your way. You furrowed your eyebrows, didn't he say his parents died?

She engulfed Jisung in a hug and you saw him melt in her embrace.

"My dear, are you okay?" She let go of him and brought a hand up to his face, checking for any injuries.

"I'm okay, auntie," he laughed, "just be a little gentle, my side is wounded."

She took a sharp breath, "you must be treated immediately then, let me help you-"

"I'm fine, it's treated and healing. I need to see the moon teller," Jisung cut her off, assuring her of his wellbeing.

"Really? How?" She paused before asking about you, "who are these people?"

"This is why I have to see the moon teller, it's urgent," you heard Jisung say.

"Of course, she's in her house."

He bid her goodbye and you resumed your walk through the village. No one blocked your way, but you did hear a few people greet Jisung along.

Soon, you stopped near a humble cottage. You watched as Jisung knocked on the door gently, receiving a 'come in' in response. He pushed the door open tenderly before stepping in, allowing you and Felix to follow behind.

"My greetings, lady of the moon," he bowed his head in respect for the woman who sat in front of you. You recognized her from the battle. She was the Zemha leader.

She sat in a humble seat, flanked by two warriors. She reminded you of your sun teller, a lot. From her kind gaze to her long, ghostly white hair. It was as if they were sisters.

"Jisung, it's a relief to see you again," she smiled and the wrinkles around her eyes deepened.

"It's good to be back," he smiled, but his smile faltered quick, "but I carry with me disheartening news."

"With me here is the prince of the Daullas," Jisung said and the guards sheathed their weapons at his words.

"It's okay, he will not harm us," he assured them, and Felix took that as his cue to introduce himself. The Daulla stepped forward and dropped his hood, exposing his face and the kind smile he wore, "it's a pleasure to meet you, lady of the moon."

The moon teller stood up to greet him, "the pleasure is all ours. What has caused this sudden visit?"

"I suppose I've strayed from my people," he kept a calm demeanor, "but I've come to warn you from the horrors the Daulla are scheming."

"They've planned an ambush on the day of the third battle, both of the Zemha and Heje clans are targeted.

"I've seen the weaponry they'll brandish on your people with my own eyes. It is hard to ask but I beg you to put your differences aside and fight with the Heje against this larger, common enemy. Otherwise, the Daulla would enslave both peoples. My mission would be gone in vain."

You were in awe of the way the prince conducted himself. He held his head up high, and so did his words sound. A prince indeed.

"My lady, the Daulla had captured us and we've heard of their plans during our stay. I trust you to decide what is best for us," Jisung added.

"I see," the moon teller nodded, before addressing the Daulla prince, "thank you for considering the safety of the Zemha."

"My lady, I only did what's humane."

"As should always be done," she smiled before her gaze fell on you, still covered up in your cloak. "And who might that be?"

"That," Jisung cleared his throat, voice trailing away.

"Don't be afraid, you can drop your hood," the lady assured you and you didn't know what to do. You looked at Jisung, whose eyes were on the ground, then at Felix, who smiled at you encouragingly. You sighed and pushed your hood back; you still had your axes for assurance.

You didn't know what reaction to expect from the lady, but something flickered in her eyes.

"My dear," she said, "come closer."

You obligated gingerly, not missing Jisung's eyes following you. The moon teller stretched a frail hand, placing it on your cheek. She studied your face, as if she was searching for something. There it was, that strange familiarity.

"Zemharir has blessed you," she looked at Jisung, letting her hand drop. Did she recognize you like Jisung did? Was this yet another person who knew your story? The boy did not respond.

"You all must be tired," she clasped her hands, "go rest. I shall take care of this situation."

With that, you left the cottage and followed Jisung to wherever he was heading. The three of you walked in silence and now that you weren't covering your face with your hood, you could take a better look at your surroundings. The houses you passed by were made of dark oak wood, a kind not available where you lived. You spotted Zemhas, the little ones playing with each other, the adults going on with their work. It was very much like your village in the desert, except you didn't wear black, blue, and greenish colors.

You stopped near a small cottage when Jisung did. He pushed its door open and entered, murmuring, "you can come in."

You waited for the prince to move before stepping in after him. The cottage was little. You spotted a bed in a corner and a furnace in the other, a table stood in the middle, surrounded by a few chairs, and a ladder extended from a gap in the ceiling.

"Is this your home?" Felix asked as he looked around. You were sure the prince was surprised by the living conditions of commoners like yourself.

"Yes," Jisung answered as he took off his cloak and placed his weapons on the table.

"It's very cozy," the prince commented, to which he received no response from the Zemha who climbed the ladder and disappeared into the room above. Moments later, he came down, having changed into casual attire as he held his old clothes in his arms.

"I'll go finish something. Don't wander around," Jisung said before leaving the cottage and you two alone.

"I wanted to look around actually," the prince said dejectedly, and you agreed, "I don't want to sit here."

After a beat of silence, you spoke up, "I don't think there's any harm in looking around."

"Are you sure?" The prince's tone was dipped in doubt.

"Yes, why would they hurt us if we did nothing to them?" All you had to do was make sure no one saw your clothes.

"I don't know how to fend for myself," the prince pointed, and you shrugged, "better not get yourself into trouble then."

You didn't feel the tiniest bit of guilt as you left the cottage, doing exactly what you were told not to do. Felix stuck to you as you wandered around, finding yourselves in a small market. The market was different from yours. Different types of food, garments, and crafts were put for sale.

"Oh my god, look at those cushions!" The prince exclaimed, pointing at a bunch of brightly colored, puffed up cushions. You couldn't understand his excitement, they were quite ugly, but you followed as he walked up to that stall. And you followed as he skipped to another stall that sold little trinkets, and another that sold strange puppets. You felt like you were back in your village, shopping with Yuna in the market. That girl found too many things cute or pretty.

A house in the distance caught your attention. It was blackened and abandoned, as if it had undergone a fire. You took in a deep breath as you strayed away from Felix, towards the curious cottage, remembering what Jisung told you the previous night. The cottage stood alone, as if the rest of the village wanted to avoid it for the tragic memories it held.

You stood a few feet away from a darkened door, trying to envision the horrors of the day Jisung described to you. A part of you believed him, the tattoo was solid proof of the truth in his words, but the rest of you was in denial. How could that be true when you remembered nothing from your childhood with him?

You were startled out of your thoughts when you heard a shout, "hey! What are you doing here?"

An unfamiliar man came stomping towards you, a furious expression plastered on his face. You remained silent.

He looked at you, studying your face before stating, "you're not from here."

You said nothing.

"Were you trying to escape?"

Silence.

"Let's bring you back to your owner then."

What?

Before you could object, the man grabbed your wrist and attempted to drag you with him, but you pulled free from his grasp, "don't touch me."

Your actions made your cloak move, and your brown and red attire was exposed. He noticed the colors and gritted his teeth, "Heje."

He was over you in a second. You tried to fight him off, but he was much bigger and stronger, your efforts were to no avail. Why did I leave my weapons in the cottage?

He caught your hair and dragged you by it. You clawed at his hands, the pain at your scalp numbing the rest of your body. It was of no use, he only dragged you farther, so you screamed.

You screamed at him to let go of you, but it was like screaming at a wall. Your vision was blurred with pain driven tears. You'd never felt so weak and helpless.

You wondered why no one had stopped him when you found yourself thrown inside a dark room. Did no one hear your screams? Or was it normal to see a girl get dragged around from her hair in this village? If this was the desert, no one would let this abuse pass.

A rope encircled your wrists, tying them useless. Your head hurt and you could barely open your eyes, but you felt your legs being tied together, restricting your movements. Your heart pounded in your chest and you screamed through your tears, wishing this all away.

You were beyond terrified. But you only heard a cackle in response and the man's voice close to your ear. His words sent chills running through your spine.

"You will burn just like our children did." 

7.

There they were again.

Flames. Red, orange, and white flames. Screams, battle sounds. Your name being called amidst the chaos. It was too much. Too bright. Too messy.

Then it began to dim away. The noises faded, and you were left with mute darkness.

You opened your eyes, gasping for breath. You were in a room. It was quite familiar, but you were too fazed to put a finger on it. You looked around you. You were in a bed, you felt the soft mattress underneath you, and you could make out two figures giving you their backs. You tried moving your legs, and they moved freely. You tried moving your arms, and your left sent a jolt of pain through your body. You let out a whimper as you clutched your arm, grabbing the two figures' attention.

"You're awake!" A voice you were familiar with exclaimed in relief and you were met with the face of the Daulla prince.

"What happened?" You whispered. The last thing you remembered was the dark room and that man's sickening words. Everything after that was an indiscernible mess. You tried sitting up, but unimaginable pain shot through your body. You fell back unto the bed.

"Please rest, dear, you're safe now," a woman, who you remembered Jisung addressing as 'auntie', stood by your side. You kept looking around, trying to find something, or someone, missing from the image. She seemed to read your thoughts, "Jisung has left."

"Where?"

"He did not say," she looked at you, her gentle gaze caressing you with care. You couldn't help the dejection crawling into your features. Were you disappointed? Surely. But you didn't know what did you expect either. Were you hoping your so-called "childhood friend" would wait for you until you woke up?

"Hey, cheer up! I'm sure he'll arrive anytime soon," Felix patted your hand and you looked at him weirdly. What?

Just then, the door burst open and in came a battered Jisung, limping his way through. His aunt left your side and rushed to his, asking in distress, "what happened to you?"

"I'm fine," he smiled weakly at her, clearly lying. You took in the injuries that covered his face and arms. A few bruises, a cut below his eye and another above, and, the source of so much blood, a busted lip.

What happened? You couldn't help but worry. He was wounded, why did he get into a fight?

Jisung's gaze fell on you for a moment, something unsaid blaring in his eyes, but he said nothing as he limped towards the ladder. He disappeared into the room above, leaving the three of you in concern. His aunt went up after him, shaking her head when she saw him try to treat his injuries himself.

"You aren't fine," she stated, making the boy sigh. If he was being honest, Jisung was nowhere near fine, and he would never be as long as you laid in that bed, weak and injured.

When the Daulla prince came running to him in the middle of the village, he was heavily confused. Why was the prince alone, and why was he out to begin with?! He received his answer shortly and his heart dropped into the deepest valley.

He ran with the prince with his heart in his throat, beating wildly. When they reached the burning storage house, people were trying to put out the fire. They'd done most of it, so Jisung pushed the blackened door and rushed in, trying his best not to inhale the toxic air.

The room was completely dark, yet he didn't miss your figure lumped on the ground. He almost tripped as he hurried to your side, taking in the ashes that covered your face and your blistered, red arm. He carried you out of the crumbling structure and ran across the village, towards his house where his aunt would be waiting.

Don't die, he prayed, hoping you'd hear him, don't die on me.

His aunt rushed to his aid when he came stumbling into the cottage, and he watched with tears in his eyes as she checked your heartbeat. His wound hurt him from all the exertion, but nothing was comparable to the pain of seeing you in that state.

Pain bred anger, and he was soon marching out of the cottage, promising himself to destroy whomever did that to you. Blinded by rage, he burst into the culprit's home when he figured his identity.

The rest is history.

"I'm not, auntie," he sighed, trying to prevent the fall of the tears brimming his eyes.

"It's okay, she's safe now, she'll heal," she comforted him, but there was still so much bothering Jisung.

•🌣•

When you woke up the next day, you felt lighter and painless. Your arm still stung, but you were able to sit up. You noticed Felix, dozing off on a chair by your side. You couldn't tell if he was a light sleeper, or if he was barely sleeping from the start, for he woke up the second you tried to leave the bed.

"No! What are you trying to do?" He said with panic in his tone, his voice octaves deeper and you wondered how could it become that low.

"Please don't move a lot," he said as you brought your legs back on the mattress, starting to hate the soft material that held you prisoner. "You need as much rest as possible."

"When will we start moving?" You asked, exhaling as you rested your head on the pillow, "we need to go to my village as soon as possible."

"I know, let's just wait for Jisung to wake," the prince smiled kindly and you thought, doesn't he get tired of smiling at people like that?

"Is he okay?" You couldn't help but ask, remembering the state he came in yesterday.

"I don't think so," Felix shook his head and explained to you how the Zemha went after the man that trapped you in that room, thus resulting in the sudden injuries.

Your heart felt heavy, yet it almost burst. You hated that feeling. It was conflicting. You weren't happy with the trouble he got himself into, but something about Jisung defending you made your heart flip and turn inside out. Who did he think himself to make you feel as much?

When the sun was in the middle of the sky, you finally started moving towards the desert—Jisung's aunt was very hesitant about letting you travel in that state. The walk was silent, but you didn't feel as awkward. At least not with the Daulla prince who seemed to have gotten closer to you after the fire incident. Jisung hasn't spoken to you ever since he told you about the tattoos.

The sun was merciless. She shone down on you with all her might and although you missed the heat, you'd gotten a little used to the shade of the forest.

A river cut between Zemha and Heje premises, and you led your group trudging across it to the other side. You exhaled, feeling at home the second you stood on the other side of the river.

Leaving the forest and the mountains behind, you trekked towards a cluster in the horizon. Your village. The walk would take you a day in your states, so you spared no time for rest.

You felt your heart ease with the sandy ground and the barren land, this was the home you knew of.

You walked ahead and the boys trailed behind you. Felix wanted to keep an eye on Jisung, in case something befell him along the way.

And something did, for the Zemha suddenly dropped to the ground and the prince had barely caught him. You turned around after hearing the commotion, "what happened?"

"I don't know," Felix confessed, sitting on the sand and checking Jisung's pulse. The boy had been silent all morning, only giving out one-worded responses. After some time, Felix gave up trying to get him to talk and just stayed nearby. The thing he feared is exactly what happened.

"His pulse is still there," the prince confirmed before laying the unconscious boy on the ground, using his cloak as a mat. "He must've fainted from blood loss, not to mention the heat."

You crouched beside Jisung, using your black cloak to block out the sun as Felix checked the wound on his side.

You were worried, so much that you feared you might faint as well and leave the poor prince to nurse the both of you. Many people died from blood loss and infections, and since Jisung was the most careful with his injuries, he had reopened his wound too many times, losing a lot of blood each time. You thought you might've sounded stupid, but you wished to the great sun watching over you to ensure his recovery. You can't die on me.

"The wound is bleeding, again," Felix exhaled, eyebrows furrowed in concern. Oh no.

"We need water," the prince looked at you questioningly, and you handed him your waterskin without inquiries. He lifted Jisung's head and tipped the receptacle, making him drink a little before splashing some water on his face to cool him down. You diverted your eyes when the prince lifted the Zemha's shirt to reach the wound. Two days ago, you thought it was absurd that the prince carried a medical kit with him, but now, you were beyond thankful for his healing skills.

Felix made a quick job of cleaning the wound and rewrapping it.

"It should not open again," he said, standing up with a bloodied cloth in his hands. You brought your attention back to Jisung, who laid peacefully on the ground. "I hope so."

"Trust my stitching skills, y/n," he grinned cheekily before becoming more serious, "watch over him while I go wash this in the river."

You watched the prince jog in the direction you came from, where the river flowed between the desert and the forest, before sitting beside the Zemha's head.

You brought his head on your lap and made sure to pat his forehead with a clean, wet cloth, in an attempt to cool him down. You paid attention to the rise and fall of his chest, finding assurance in that miniature movement. His still features were like a stab to your heart, why are you feeling like this?

"Please, wake up," you murmured, brushing the locks that stuck to his forehead away. "You can't leave before I get to thank you for saving me."

Silence. You didn't know what you were expecting but your heart was still heavy with dismay. You focused on pouring water unto the damp cloth and patting his face and neck with it. You decided you could survive a few days short on water if it meant it'll help him wake. He has to.

You rested the cloth on his cheek, hating how a scar grazed his skin. A scar that came from the same man who attempted to burn you alive. You were going to make sure he paid for that with blood.

Lost in thought, you didn't notice the hand that rested on yours gingerly, as if you were too fragile to touch. Your breath hitched, "Jisung?"

"Don't move," he managed to say, weakly, and you were not going to move an inch.

He blinked against the sun, and you brought your left hand to shield his eyes, ignoring the pain of moving it. When he focused, he met your gaze with gentle warmth. A serene smile adorned his handsome features and he allowed himself to close his eyes, leaning into your touch. "Thank you."

8.

The next day, you reached your village, or what remained of it.

Your eyes widened as you took in the destroyed houses. There was no one in sight. Your flags were torn down and burned. Your houses, broken apart. The little trees you had scattered around, cut down. It looked like a massacre took place. What happened here?

The prince came to your side, with Jisung leaning on him for support, "what happened here?"

"I-I don't know," your heart beat feverishly in your chest and you repeated, "I don't know."

Where was Yuna? You looked around, trying to make sense of the sight in front of you. Could this be an attack from the Zemha? Or worse-

You took off towards your house, holding in the tears that threatened to fall. Where is Yuna?

Where is your best friend? The only family you remember?

You halted near a torn down house. Your house. The door was broken, some corners were crumbling down, and when you stepped in, you suppressed a gasp from leaving your lips. Your furniture was completely ruined. Chairs, tables, cabinets, all rendered useless pieces of wood.

Your home.

Where's Yuna?

You heard a cry from outside the house and you turned around, recognizing the owner of that voice. Yuna.

You stumbled out of the house, just in time to see your best friend hold her spear up high, aiming for Jisung's heart.

"Stop!" You ran up to her, grabbing her arm and regretting it very soon after.

"Y/n?" She turned to face you, and you noticed how messy she looked. How tired she looked.

"Y/n!" She dropped her spear, wrapping her arms around you instead. You returned her hug with all the power you could muster, too elated to have seen your friend alive.

"I thought-" she hiccupped, mumbling through her tears, "I thought you were killed, y-you didn't come back after the battle."

"Then, t-they attacked us and I-I thought-" you cut her off, rubbing circles on her back comfortingly, "shh, take a breath, Yuna."

Your friend was still in your embrace as she inhaled deeply, squeezing you in her arms one last time before letting go.

Tears streaked her cheeks, and her hair was out of its braid, but it was still the face you knew all your life.

"What happened to your hair?" She blurted an inappropriately timed question and you chuckled, "it's a long story."

You noticed Felix helping Jisung up and they stood nearby. You remembered what you came here for. "What happened here?"

"We were attacked the morning after the battle."

The morning after you escaped the Daulla city.

"By who?"

Your friend sighed, "it wasn't the Zemha."

"Then who?"

"The Daulla."

You heard a curse come from the direction the boys stood at. You looked at them to see Felix covering his mouth, eyes as wide as plates.

"You didn't know about this, did you?" You raised an eyebrow and the Daulla prince shook his head quickly, voice trembling, "I was never told."

Yuna glanced at the prince then looked at you, "who are these people?"

Right. You decided to introduce your companions, "Yuna, this is the prince of the Daulla, Felix, and this is a member of the Zemha, Jisung."

Your friend tensed, leaning to pick her spear up again. Enemies.

"They're friends, Yuna. They won't hurt us," you assured her, resting a hand on her arm.

"How can you be sure?" She glared at them in suspicion and you smiled, "they're the reason I'm alive and seeing you right now."

She stared at you for a while before sighing, "whatever you say."

"Where are the rest of your people?" Felix asked, making Yuna's eyes darken, "killed, most of them. The rest have escaped to the other Heje villages."

"Yuna, we have to warn them," you said, a hint of desperation in your tone. "The Daulla are planning to attack both the Heje and the Zemha on the day of the third battle, but it seems they had more plans in mind."

Yuna raised an eyebrow and Felix interjected, "I can assure you, she is speaking the truth."

"We've warned the Zemha, and we came to warn you too," Jisung added.

"We have to find the rest and tell them. We have a bigger enemy than the Zemha here," you finalized and waited for Yuna to say something. The girl stared at your trio for a beat before exhaling, "we move tomorrow, sunrise, but they can't come with us. They won't be allowed to enter the village."

•🌣•

Yuna showed you the small shelter she managed to put together from the ruined houses. She was going to move with the rest, but she waited, hoping that you'd find your way to the village. Her wait paid off, but you weren't going to stay in your deserted village for more than a night.

"Yuna," you called as your friend was busy taking food out of a wooden box.

"Yes?"

"I have a question." Ever since Jisung had told you about your childhood, you'd meant to ask the only person who knew you when you were brought to the Heje village. Yuna.

"Go ahead," she smiled, turning to face you as she set a tray of pastries on the ground between you.

"What happened to my parents?"

"They were killed in battle, I thought you knew that?" She furrowed her eyebrows and you gulped, "no, what really happened to my parents? You don't have to lie to me, Yuna."

"Lie? About what?"

"Yuna, I know," you paused, trying to phrase your words in the best way. "I know I'm not from here."

A beat of silence passed before your friend spoke, her voice unnaturally cold, "it's that Zemha, isn't it?"

"No, this has nothing to do with him," you shook your head, "this is about me. I want to know what happened to my parents. Why can't I remember anything about them?"

"They died when you were very little, you don't expect to remember much now, do you?"

"Then how can he remember? How can a stranger tell me more about my life than I could, Yuna?" You stood up, frustrated with the insufficient answers she was giving you.

"Oh, so you'd rather believe a stranger over your own friend?" Yuna challenged and you only added tinder to the fire. You lifted the cloth that wrapped your right upper arm, exposing the tattoo you shared with Jisung, "explain this then."

"This is irrelevant."

"No, Yuna. It's the truth you've been hiding for so long," you pulled the cloth down with a sigh. "There's no point, I know what happened."

You turned to leave, but your friend's voice stopped you, "they killed my parents too!"

"That day, they killed my parents too," Yuna's voice trembled, "your parents killed mine."

"I was afraid, you were afraid, so I held your hand and ran away. I-I'm sorry," her voice was almost a whisper, as if nightmares will come haunting her if she spoke any louder.

"I was too little to understand what I'd done and then the leaders took you from me. T-They gave you some kind of potion and you woke up a new person," she retold the tale that still made her heart heavy with guilt, "I didn't know what to do so I thought, maybe, we could build a new life. Just the two of us. I had no idea about the life I took away from you or the people I snatched you from, until that tattoo came to my attention.

"I tried to hide it, I tried to dodge your questions, I lied, just so you could stay. I'm sorry. I was being selfish," her eyes were downcast in shame when she finished. You felt horrible for pressuring her into telling you something that clearly hurt her as well.

"Yuna...," you turned around, gaze softening at the sight of your downhearted friend.

"It's fine. You're right. I'm sorry. You can go back to the Zemha now," she shook her head, stepping away.

"Don't be ridiculous, I won't leave you, Yuna," you sighed, pulling your friend into a hug. "I'm sorry."

"I was just too... I just wanted to make sense of things. I shouldn't have forced it out of you.

"If anything, I'm thankful you saved me," you grinned, pulling away.

"You don't hate me or anything?" Your friend laughed and you couldn't help but join—her laughter was contagious. "No, why would I?"

"I don't know," she shrugged.

You tutted, faking disappointment, "I can't believe how little faith you have in me!"

"Um, I'm sorry to disturb, but has anyone seen Jisung?" Felix appeared behind you, a sheepish smile on his lips.

"No, why?" You frowned, turning around to face the Daulla prince.

"I can't find him."

"What?" Your smile dropped like a heavy sack, to be replaced by an expression of alarm. "What do you mean you 'can't find' him?"

"I can't find him. He was right next to me then he disappeared!" The prince said, waving his hands descriptively.

"Skies," you sighed, where could've he went? He wasn't in the most stable condition, what if he lost consciousness without us knowing? The sun had begun to set, it's not safe for him to be out there.

You picked your battle axe, just in case you stumbled upon a threat, and you took off searching for the Zemha. You ran around the destructed village frantically, calling his name. The village was quiet, silent, and you could only hear the howl of wind. No Jisung to be seen.

Soon, you reached the other end of the village, where your, now torn down, house stood. You were losing hope. Could he have wandered out of the village? You dreaded that.

You were about to head back to the shelter before a figure standing near the house caught your eye.

"Jisung?"

You called, running up to check if your eyes weren't fooling you. To your utter relief, it was the boy you were seeking. He stood a few feet away from the ruined building, staring at it in gloom.

"Hey, are you okay?" You let out a breath once you reached him. "We've been looking for you."

He didn't respond, preferring to look at you with upset eyes. Your concern only multiplied, "what's making you so sad?"

"It's nothing," Jisung murmured, avoiding your gaze.

"It's not nothing. You've been acting weird ever since you told me about my parents. What's troubling you?"

"You."

"Excuse me?"

Jisung sighed, "I felt horrible, dropping all of that on you. It must've been hard to take in all that information, but I just wanted you to remember me.

"You didn't sleep well that night, you kept on mumbling and turning. It must've been a dream fabricated from the things I told you. So I thought I'd give you some space," he stopped.

"Jisung-"

"But then the Daulla prince came running to me, telling me that you were trapped in a burning room, and something shifted in my heart. I was afraid. When I found you in that storage house, tied up and unconscious, I thought I was going to lose my friend just as I found her.

"Eight years ago, you left, leaving no traces of you behind, and now you suddenly parade back into my life. I don't know what to feel about it. I-I'm confused, y/n," he confessed, leaving you in confusion.

"You don't have to pretend that everything's fine, Jisung. If something's bothering you, you should point it out."

Silence stretched between the two of you after you said that. Jisung's words left a strange feeling in your heart. He sounded so dejected and broken, all you wanted to do was hold him tight and assure him it was all okay. When did you start caring for this Zemha boy so much?

You knew that after the sun rises, you will part ways. Jisung will head back to his village with Felix, while you will be on your way to another Heje village with Yuna. If you were to see each other again, it would be in the heat of battle. You, too, did not know what to feel about it.

"Here," Jisung said softly and you noticed a hand resting on his heart, "it bothers me here."

"I know that we will eventually say goodbye, but," he paused, turning to face you, "until I figure it out, will you try to find me again?"

A small smile found home on your lips, and your hand found his in the dark, "I'll always find my way."

9.

To say you felt uneasy would be an understatement. You felt completely overwrought as Yuna helped you tighten your armor, a scene from three weeks replaying in your head. Your friend helped you tie your short locks—they were hard to braid— and you picked up your two battle axes, both of your arms feeling stronger and healthier after that break.

It was the day of the third battle, or, more precisely, the day you fight with the Zemha against the Daulla. You'd been counting down the days, ever since you set foot in the new village. You weren't necessarily anticipating the fight, but you were excited to see a certain Zemha.

Jisung.

Although you'd known him for a short while, you still yearned for him after he left. How could he have that effect on you? You didn't know. But you did know that your mind was constantly filled with thoughts about him, his whereabouts, his wellbeing. How was his wound healing?

You were going to find him on this day. You had no intention to break the promise you made.

"Ready?" Yuna asked once she was done sheathing her weapons. You nodded, "ready."

The two of you left the house, joining the other Heje gathering to march towards the river, where you'd agreed to meet with the Zemha. Your trek was long, but you were able to spot the glimmer of water when the sun was the highest in the sky.

You saw an army bigger than any you'd seen before, clad in blacks, blues, and greens, waving flags and banners with the moon stitched on them. The Zemha.

You squinted, making out two horses standing at the lead. You recognized the moon teller on one, and... the Daulla prince on the other. Felix. You smiled. It had been almost a month since you last saw the whimsical prince. You'd be lying to say you didn't miss him too.

Your eyes scanned the Zemha army for one person, you knew the chances of spotting him were thin, but you tried, nonetheless. Your army of Heje from every village came to stand next to the Zemha. You were divided into two oceans, one brown, red, and gold, and the other black, blue, and green, yet you stood in one line. One side. Against one enemy. You were putting your differences aside and fighting together.

You moved between the people, entering the Zemha's side to reach the Daulla prince.

"Felix!" You called and he looked at you from where he sat. That kind smile never changed, "y/n!"

"How have you been?" He asked and you smiled back, "I've been well, you?"

"As well as a prince anxious for a battle," he chuckled before adding, "Jisung is in the eastern unit."

"Thank you."

You made your way between confused Zemha, maneuvering at your best until you spotted a familiar side profile, and a tattoo identical to yours.

"Hey."

Jisung snapped his head in the direction of your voice and his breath hitched. You found him.

The boy opened his mouth to say something, but it went muffled as you heard an explosion not too far away. You exchanged a look, the Daulla.

That's when horns blew from your side, announcing the start of another battle. You grinned at Jisung, brandishing your axes, "come on, battle partner."

After.

It had been months since the battle against the Daullas took place.

It was a brutal war. Many on your side were killed, but when it ended, the Heje and the Zemha were victorious. The Daulla did not expect your number—you were taken aback by the enormous army your clans created. The Daulla were defeated in the end, despite their advanced weapons.

Perhaps the most surprising thing would be the celebrations your clans did together after the battle. It was strange, yet heartwarming to see longtime rivals toasting their victory and dancing the night away. You smiled at the sight. It was the beginning of a new era.

In the days post the battle, you traveled between the desert and the mountains a lot. You'd spend a few days in the Heje village with Yuna, enjoying the sun and the hot air, before mounting your horse and heading to the mountains to enjoy the shade, the cool air, and Jisung's company.

Jisung, the Zemha you almost killed on your first meeting, had managed to become a huge part of your life. You did not 'enjoy' his company, you loved it, and you liked the way your heart would soar when you were together.

Jisung would wait for you to arrive by the river, carrying nothing with him but a sweet smile and a loving gaze. Just how you'd anticipate visiting, he'd look forward to seeing you. He even tried to visit the Heje village you stayed at, but you scolded him for traveling with the severe injuries he'd gained from the battle. After he fainted that time, you couldn't trust him to venture out with such wounds. Who knew what could happen?

Jisung found himself doing that just to see you fret over him, finding your fussy state rather cute. But in turn, he made sure to take care of you when you visited the Zemha village. The Heje and the Zemha weren't as hostile to each other anymore, but he still feared for your safety.

Jisung would insist to trail behind you, clutching his axe as if to warn any onlookers. That tough facade would flutter away the second you called his name, an endearing smile finding its way to his face instead. Skies, how could the smallest things make him smile if they came from you? What was this Heje warrior doing to his heart?

It was almost sunset when you reached the riverbanks, dismounting your horse when you recognized Jisung's waiting figure.

When you greeted him, he handed you a forest flower he held, "welcome back."

You received it with a chuckle, "what's the occasion?"

Jisung shrugged, and you thought his smile put the flower's beauty to shame.

You walked side by side through the forest, guiding your horse behind you and asking about any recent happenings in the Zemha village. There was nothing new, according to Jisung, but the Daulla prince was creating quite the fuss with his knowledge.

You chuckled. Felix had been the center of attention ever since he settled by the mountains and you couldn't blame the people—he had you baffled with his "theories" and "explanations" sometimes.

"Where are you going?" You asked, the ghost of a laugh still evident in your tone, as Jisung suddenly changed his route. He only grinned at you, a playful glint in his eyes, "you'll see."

"The sun is setting," you pointed out as you followed him doubtfully, "night is coming."

"The better," Jisung assured you and you soon found yourself out of the forest, near a valley you remember too well.

You were back at the old battlefield, where you fought Jisung and fell down the cliff. It felt like a distant dream.

"Seriously?" You looked at the boy in disbelief, why are we back here?

"Yes, don't you miss this place sometimes?" Jisung couldn't stop the light chuckle that left his lips.

"Not much."

Comfortable silence wrapped you two in a snug blanket and there came your friend, the wind, howling through the sandy land. Jisung's gaze was fixed on the sky. It was dark enough for the stars to show and you heard him comment, "soldiers of the sun."

You smiled at the memory, "children of the moon."

Jisung brought his attention to you, that charming smile still painted on his lips, "y/n?"

"Yes?"

"Remember when you asked about what bothered me?"

You nodded, "what about that?"

The boy exhaled, seriousness suddenly overtaking him. His hands found yours and he held them as if they were made of glass, and not roughened from the many battles you fought. Your gazes locked and it was only you, Jisung, and the wind to witness the collision of two stars, sending sparks to light up the whole sky.

"Felix was right. The stars guide us," he began, "like little candles in the darkness of night.

"But, y/n, you are that star. A radiant candle illuminating the dark room I was trapped in. The North Star that guided me back home. If I plucked the stars from the sky and put them in your hands, you would still shine brighter. Beyond the sun, beyond the moon, beyond Hejera, beyond Zemharir, none can compare to you.

"I used to be conflicted, but my heart sang your name with every beat, loud and clear, yearning for you.

"If it's not too heavy of a request, would you hold it for me?" Jisung searched your eyes for a hint of rejection but found nothing. How could he when all you saw was overwhelming love for him? Your answer came before you could process it. Your heart was to speak.

"Only if you'll agree to hold mine."

If you have read this far then you are contractually obligated to tell me your thoughts! Well, not really, but do drop by sometime! Thank you for reading and I hope you have a fabulous day! ♡

#stray kids #han jisung #han jisung imagines #jisung imagines #han imagines #han #stray kids imagines #imagines #bang chan #kim woojin #lee minho #seo changbin #hwang hyunjin #lee felix #kim seungmin #yang jeongin #skz #candles in the sky #warrior au #source: -Kyutips chaninfused

[angesaurus]

Both @zerocarb and @meishafindingbalance tagged me for 20 questions!

1. Name - Angela

2. Nicknames - mostly everyone calls me “Ang” which can be spelled that way or “Ange” (one syllable) - I don’t like being called Angie at all

3. Zodiac - Virgo which is 100% accurate and as I get older I’m appreciating it more and love learning about my sign

4. Height - 5'6”ish....

5. Languages - just English - but I used to be able to speak some Italian and understand it in college when I took courses and tutored. Now, not so much. Maybe one day I’ll start learning again.

6. Nationality - Italian, Polish, German. I just recently found out my Italian great grandparents came over from Italy.

7. Favorite Season - Halloween/fall season. I used to love summer but summer pregnancy ruined that, see how I feel about it this year lol

8. Favorite Flower - sunflowers 🌻

9. Favorite Scent - fresh linen smells, fun flowers, coffee

10. Favorite Color - Black, pink

11. Favorite Animal - orca whales! Like free willy style, beluga whales, ANY KIND OF WHALE!!!! 🐳 they are AMAZING.

12. Favorite Fictional Character - ugh this is a hard one? I’m going to say Sirius Black but also, back in the day Jessica Darling and Marcus Flutie were my life

13. Coffee, Tea, or Hot Cocoa - COFFEE! Tea I could do without (I’ve tried) and I can’t even remember the last time I had hot cocoa.

14. Average Sleep - 6 if I’m very lucky. Usually 3/4 hours a night.

15. Dog or Cat Person - dog, but I’m 100% over being a pet owner

16. Number of Blankets - we share a quilt and a sheet but then I also sleep with a big comforter wrapped around me because I freeze getting into bed.

17. Dream Trip - I’ve always wanted to put my feet into the Pacific Ocean ever since I read California Diaries Sunny Book One 😂

18 - Blog Established - I’ve had many a Blog since 2011 (fitblr! Anyone remember AngelaisaLoser???) and deleted and remade a few times but have had this one since 2015 I think.

19 - Number of Followers - 531?? I’m shocked I thought it was like 200 lol

20 - Random Fact - I am a grad school drop out. After I graduated with my bachelors I had a terrible lapse in judgement while working a shit low paying job and paying student loans - decided I wanted to be an English teacher ( I had gone into college majoring in education and then switched, you’d think I would have known better) so I applied and got in and lasted about a year or so, did horrible - like absolutely horrible in the education classes and couldn’t teach a lesson to save my life, my advisor told me I was a horrible teacher, etc. so I dropped out before student teaching and never looked back (until every month when I get my loan payment notification 🙃) It’s fine - I know I’m not meant to be a teacher and I would have been unhappy. My husband is a teacher so I just assumed I should be too. Lol no.

I tag : @losingitinvirginia @ordinarily-beautiful and @itisallmydoing

[faejilly]

ultimate top 10 sh moments/scenes 👀

ultimate? I am terrible at favorites/top 10′s nonny, this will not be ultimate, it will just be whatever 10 random things I thought up that I could manage words about 😅 In no order whatsoever, with numbers just so I don’t lose my place even more than usual:

10. May I start of by saying The Wedding? I generally skip fictional weddings, they make me uncomfortable. I mute them on TV (or pull out my phone to distract me if there are other people watching) and skim them in print, I find the entire concept of personalized vows mortifying, and I’m honestly delighted that most romances end at the engagment, because those are lovely and emotional. (I wasn’t even interested in my own wedding, and only actually arranged one because I knew the now husband didn’t just want to be engaged for fifty years *laughs*.) But I liked the flowers and the outfits (tho Magnus is not imo wearing a tuxedo, poor Alec) and the music and vows that were familiar rather than personal because ritual is important to them, being part of this setting that neither of them thought they’d ever have? I enjoyed it tremendously. Not an ultimate of anything, I suppose, but I liked it, which is all that matters. (It’s not where I wanted their relationship to be at that point, but it’s short-hand for where they’re going, which is the best possible scenario for a finale movie, tbqh.)

Engagements are about the couple, but weddings are about the community, and I felt like this did that visually, even if the actual ritual of the wedding makes no sense.

9. Parbatai sparring in uh… 2x11 I think it was. Sometimes the choreography in the show is a bit… weird, but they always did a good job with Jace & Alec and having the way they fought be character-full, having it show the strengths and weaknesses of their bond in a way very few of their other interactions could. In this one it’s so clearly comforting, this one sliver of normalcy after everything else that’s happened. (And gods I love Alec’s shirt, sorry never sorry, wtf is up with that man and grey shirts? *laughs*)

8. Shout out to Izzy & Luke in 3a. It’s basically one scene, but it gives us a sense of a solid world in a way Shadowhunters generally didn’t, of Luke and Izzy existing in the world as their jobs, Shadowhunter & Cop, as people, as friends, as part of a larger whole in terms of their professional and personal connections. Of course all these people know each other, in all these different ways, whether we see it all the time or not, and that was DELIGHTFUL.

7. SIMON LEWIS

That’s it.

No, obviously, especially, his speech about his grandmother and the Holocaust, because not only is it in important speech on about five levels, the way he tells it illustrates how much he loves Clary, that he’s giving her this story that she, tbqh, hadn’t earned, as a gift for her more than an explanation. It’s just. Gorgeous. It’s a gestalt, one of those moments that is greater than the sum of its parts, and in this particular case, the parts that make up the whole were pretty damn good already.

6. The 2x18 flashback to Magnus & Alec’s first time together. One, because it addressed the way the show had screwed up the original episode, but mostly two, that it was important in how it showed their relationship (fears and issues and strengths and desires, all at once) and the way they interact. Most sex scenes in TV & movies are trying to be titillating and don’t really accomplish anything in terms of plot or character, but this one did. And also it was lovely and giggly and very very pretty. 😅

5. Jocelyn’s funeral: This entire episode, actually, is a really good Clary episode. It showcases her strengths, (she never has any trouble forgiving Alec, never even considers blaming him), her determination, and also her weaknesses, the way her grief makes her reckless, again, and it’s sheer chance that her visit to Iris didn’t go dramatically horrifyingly wrong in ways that would have damaged her and Alec (and everyone who cares about them) in ways that would have lingered for years. But even though they didn’t ever explicitly address most of that, the moment at the funeral, when her voice breaks and Jace speaks for her, gives us enough catharsis that it works anyways. (It’s also a really beautiful moment for Jace, and there are so few moments when he lets himself be who he is to help someone, rather than doing what he thinks he’s supposed to do, that this one really stands out.)

4. Clary killing Valentine. #PRINCESS STABBITY

It’s good, is what I’m saying. Desperate and brutal and I love her.

3. Simon & Jace and the boop-boop both because it’s legit adorable, but also because it was one of the few ‘short-hand’ notes in the epilogue that worked for me exactly as intended. It shows you how well Simon’s integrating into the Nephilim side of the Shadow World (without ever being an ounce less Simon than he ever was) but it also shows that Jace really did learn from everything that happened to him, that he’s no longer hiding what he’s thinking and feeling, that he’s no longer afraid to just, idk, like people. He’s mourning Clary, obviously, but he’s going to be ok, and I believe that he would have been even if she’d never seen him at her show. (Though I think her seeing him is better, that it gives them a second chance to be them without the world ending around them, to be soft rather than desperate.)

2. Nice Gills

Not only is it just a stunningly perfect smile on Alec’s face, but that one moment kind of crystallizes and pulls together all the potentially disparate parts of his personality, how angry he was in s1, the hopelessness here after Jocelyn’s death, the giddy impossibility of that first smile he gave Magnus, the way he let his siblings run him even when he was running the Institute, the way he never quite cracked down on Clary’s assorted crazies because she was doing it for her mother. 

The fact that Alec is both good at his job (killing demons) and a total marshmallow to his family who will burn himself to a crisp to save them is not news, not even back in 2x5 when he met Madzie. It’s apparent in almost everything he does (especially after 1x12, when he’s no longer trying to hide himself to protect his family and has to choose actions to protect them instead). But what’s impressive here is that that smile and those words are completely 100% genuine, despite how worried he is for Clary, how guilty he feels about Jocelyn, how lost he is to have agreed to come here, to a questionable warlock who practices dark magic on the off-chance this will somehow make things better, he is honestly and truthfully there for Madzie when he smiles at her.

And that one moment, when they connect, is well enough done that her saving him from Valentine five episodes later feels completely earned. 

1. MAGNUS BANE’S SHEER EXISTENCE. He is perfection. Even when he makes no sense at all it doesn’t matter because he’s Magnus and he has done nothing wrong ever.

Except probably a bunch of murder and definitely centuries of petty revenge, but that’s just part of his charm. That he chooses not to do the former and has wallowed delightfully in the latter. 

With a special shout-out for Every Time Alec & Magnus Kiss, shut up, they’re beautiful.

#shadowhunters #entirely incoherent and random rambling #whee? #malec #and other things #Anonymous #jilly answers #my sh rambling

[justmelagain]

Copied and pasted and 100% ACCURATE!🤣🤣 It’s looong but SO GOOD...

Dear Diary 2020 Edition, In ❄️ January, 🔥 Australia caught on fire. I don’t even know if that fire was put out, because we straight up almost went to war with Iran 🇮🇷 . We might actually still be almost at war with them 🤔. I don’t know, because 👩 Jen Aniston and 👨🏻 Brad Pitt spoke to one another at an awards 🏆 show and everyone flipped the crap out 😲, but then there was this thing happening in 🦇 🇨🇳 China, then 👑 Prince Harry and Megan ✌🏼 peaced out of the Royal family, and there was the whole impeachment trial 👩‍⚖️ , and then corona virus 🦠 showed up in the US ✔️“officially,” but then 🏀 Kobe died 😭and UK 🇬🇧 peaced out of the European Union.

In February, 🌽 Iowa crapped 💩 itself with the caucus results and the president was acquitted and the 👩🏼‍💼Speaker of the House took ten. Whole. years. to rip up a speech , but then The👨‍🔬 🌎WHO decided to give this virus a name COVID-19, which confused 🤔some really important people 👔 in charge of, like, our lives, into thinking there were 18 other versions before it, but then Harvey Weinstein was found guilty👨🏻‍⚖️, and 🇺🇸 Americans started asking if Corona beer 🍺 was safe to drink🤦🏻‍♀️, and everyone on Facebook became a doctor 👨‍⚕️ who just knew the 🤒flu like killed way more people than COVID 1 through 18.

In March, stuff hit the fan👿. Warren dropped out of the presidential race and Sanders was like Bernie or bust 💥, but then Italy 🇮🇹 shut its whole country down 🚷, and then COVID Not 1 through 18 officially become what everyone already realized, a 😱pandemic and then a nationwide state of emergency 🆘was declared in US 🇺🇸 , but it didn’t really change anything, so everyone was confused or thought it was still just a flu 💁🏻‍♀️, but then COVID Not 18 was like ya’ll not taking me seriously? 💡 I’m gonna infect the one celebrity everyone loves and totally infected Tom Hanks👨🏻, get y’all to close all of the schools so y’all can 🙏🏼 appreciate teachers 👩‍🏫 for once (because you can’t teach them anything other than how to use a touch screen🤦🏻‍♀️ ) close down all of salons so you can’t get your 💇‍♂️ hair or your nails done💅 , everyone had to work from home and attend Zoom meetings in their underwear. The 📉 DOW took a crap 💩 on itself, and most of us still don’t understand why the stock market is so important or even a thing 🤔 (I still don’t), We were then all introduced to 🐅 Tiger King and the ONE thing we can all agree on this year , 👍🏼Carol totally killed her husband⚰️ ..... whacked him! And then Netflix was like you’re welcome, and we all realized there was no way we were washing our hands enough in the first place because all of our hands are now dry and gross and were all searching for lotion now.

In 🌧 April, Bernie finally busted✌🏼 himself out of the presidential race 🏃 , but then NYC 🗽became the set of The Walking Dead 💀 and we learned that no one has face masks 😷, ventilators, or toilet paper, or THE FREAKING SWIFFER WET JET LIQUID , and by now our 🦁outgrowth is showing, so there’s a shortage on 📦 box hair dye and all of our hair dressers are like , 😱 NO DONT DO IT!!! But, then Kim Jong-Un died, but then he came back to life … or did he? Who knows, because then the Pentagon released 🎥 videos of UFOs and nobody cared, and we were like man, it’s only April….

In 💐 May, the biblical end times kicked off , historical locust swarms, we learned of murder hornets 🐝 and realized that 2020 was the start of the Hunger Games🙈 however people forgot to let us know. people legit started to protest lockdown measures with 🔫 AR-15s, 🏀⚾️sports events were cancelled everywhere. But then people all over America finally reached a breaking point with race issues and violence. There were 🗣protests in every city🌃 ,which was confusing to some of us because people were definitely gathering in 👫crowds of more than 🖐🏼🤚🏼10 and for sure closer than 6 foot away ⬅️➡️from each other . Those people must have forgotten about the 😖pandemic called COVID Not One Through 18. Media 📺 🗞 struggled with how to 🤬focus on two important things at once, people in general struggle to focus on more than one important thing. A dead whale 🐋 was found in the middle of the Amazon rain forest 🌳 after monkeys 🐒 stole COVID 1 Through 19 from a lab 🔬 and ran off with them, and either in May or April (no one is keeping track of time now) that a giant asteroid ☄️ narrowly missed the Earth🌍.

In ☀️ June, science and common sense just got thrown 🤾🏼 straight out the window and somehow 😷 wearing masks became a 🏛political thing, but then everyone sort of remembered there was a pandemic, but then decided that not wearing a mask was somehow a ✝️God given right (still haven't found that part in the bible or even in the constitution). then 👨‍🔬scientists announced they found a mysterious undiscovered mass at the center of the earth, and everyone was like 🙅🏽‍♂️🙅🏻‍♀️🚧DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH IT, but then everyone took a pause to realize that people actually believed Gone With The Wind 💨 was like non-fiction, but then it was also announced that there is a strange 🛰radio signal coming from somewhere in the universe 🌌 that repeats itself every so many days 🗓 , and everyone was like 👽 DON’T YOU DARE ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE WITH IT‼️🚫 but then America reopened 🙌🏼from the shut down that actually wasn’t even a shut down, and so far, things have gone spectacularly .... not that great 👎🏼. All of the Karen’s came out at once, and people started tearing down 🔨 statues. Everyone is on Facebook arguing 🤼‍♀️ that masks kill because no one knows how breathing works 👃🏼, but then Florida 🏖 was like hold my beer 🍺 and let me show you how we’re number one 🥇 in all things, including new Not Corona Beer Coronavirus. Trump 👱🏻‍♂️decides now is a good time to ask the Supreme Court 🏛 to shut down ❌Obama Care because what better time to do so than in the middle of a pandemic 💁🏻‍♀️ , but then we learned there was a massive dust cloud ☁️ coming straight at us 📍from the Sahara Desert 🐫 , which is totally normal, but this is 2020, so the 👻 ghost mummy thing is most likely in that dust cloud. We then 📚 learned of meth-gators 🐊 , and I'm like that is so not on my flipping 2020 Bingo card 😡 can we use it as the free space?? 🤷🏻 Then we learned that the Congo's worst ever Ebola 🚨 outbreak is over 😓, and we were all like, there was an Ebola outbreak that was the worse ever? 👀 ....... and don’t forget we just discovered FLYING SNAKES! 🐍, seriously! FLYING SNAKES!!!!

So here comes July…. at this point we are over it , just tell us what’s next .... 👽 Aliens? 🔱Zeus? ☄️ Asteroids? Artificial Intelligence becomes self aware? Can it just be something cool 😎 or fun for once? Maybe even a good laugh , like hahaha 😂 April Fools! We all actually wouldn’t mind that joke at this point.

I have no idea who wrote this.

Also, why didn't I know about the whale in the Amazon? Or a few other things because I just can’t keep up anymore!

But I’m sharing it because as long as we make it through 2020, I really want this to pop back up in the memories a few years from now.

[petite-madame]

What did you think about the end of Endgame and the Steve and Bucky story arch?

Hi anon!

Thanks a lot for your message ♥

I actually enjoyed the ending. Ok, being the “drama queen” that I am, I would have preferred Steve to have an epic sacrificial death alongside Tony followed by a big funeral, a bit like the one of Superman at the beginning of Justice League (the movie was meh but this intro scene was amazing), but as the great poet Mick Jagger once said “you can’t always get what you want”

However, I didn’t expect Steve to join Peggy thanks to time travels but somehow, I had the intuition that something was going to happen to him, some problems with the serum maybe, and that he would age rapidly and become “old Steve” OR that he would become “Tiny Steve” again. I was wrong, he time traveled and aged normally, certainly had a family with Peggy, etc… We don’t know what he did during that time from the forties (fifties?) to present days, though. Saving Bucky? Saving himself from under the ice? Not intervening in order not to screw more things in this timeline? It’s open to interpretation and thank god, we have fan fictions for all this (the number of “fix it” fics is insane by the way. How do you want me to read all this? xD)

What is not very clear in my opinion is Steve’s timeline: as he created a new future by travelling back in time, a bit like a “flashpoint” because he change the past at a specific point, didn’t he create a new timeline? If so, he wouldn’t have been able to join Buck and Sam at the edge of the lake ? Or maybe did he just change HIS and Peggy’s timelines (a new Peggy) and as it didn’t affect the rest, he was able to meet Buck and Sam later in time? Anyway, it’s something like this apparently:

Screencap from this very interesting video

Also, unlike a lot of people, it didn’t shock me that he joined Peggy. Some people pointed out that at the end of Age of Ultron, Steve was not interested in having a family anymore and that his life as an Avengers was everything but between Age of Ultron and Endgame, EIGHT YEARS passed for him and Steve was not the same man anymore: there was the Snap of course but what made him take this decision IMO was:

1) seeing Tony having a great life, a wife, a daughter. He had a glimpse of what it could be to stay away from fighting and he hoped something like this for himself. Yup, maybe it wasn’t so bad.

2) he had the POSSIBILITY to join Peggy, a thing that didn’t happen before in the story. Peggy was the love of his life and she belonged to the past until finally Tony managed to create a way to time travel. Steve saw Peggy for the first time in 80 years and it changed everything. There was shift inside him and you can see it when he sees her in her office hidden behind the blinds. He tried to have a girlfriend (Sharon), a life, but it didn’t work out. It was Peggy from the start and now that he had a way to make things work, he decided to take his chance. 

3) the next generation of Avengers is here and Steve knew he could retire. If there’s a problem, Clint, Scott, Wanda, Rhodey, Thor, The Guardians, Strange, Carol, the Wakandans, Banner, etc…and of course Sam and Buck, will be here to protect the Earth. His job is done and he knows he can leave with his mind at peace.

Was it selfish? A bit, certainly, but Steve thinks that he did enough since 1943 and did what he had to do: he stopped Thanos, rescued Bucky from Hydra, gave the mantle to a new Captain America. If he joined Peggy before she could met her husband and have children, it doesn’t change anything for the old Peggy we saw in The Winter Soldier. This Peggy got married to another man and had a great life. The Peggy Steve had a dance with at the end of Endgame is another Peggy, starting a new life with Steve in a new timeline. 

As far as Bucky is concerned, he knew what Steve wanted to do. You don’t tell your best friend that is supposed to come back in FIVE SECONDS according to Banner, “I’m gonna miss you, Buddy”. They talked about all this before “Steve’s big jump”, his plans, if Buck was gonna be alright, giving the shield to Sam. OF COURSE they did! However, I think that Buck didn’t expect to see Steve return at this place and time in order to give the shield to Sam. He smiles when he sees his friend as if he was thinking “the lil’ shit always has to be dramatic, look at him making an entrance”. 

What is interesting is what kind of man Bucky is going to become now that Steve won’t be at his side. He says himself that he’s a “semi stable 100 year old man”. By this, I don’t think he means going “full Winter Soldier” again, of course, but how after 70 years of brain washing, PTSD, etc..he’s going to go on with his life. I hope they will show this part of his personality in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier show and that they won’t sugarcoat this side of Bucky’s life because it’s on a family VOD channel. But hey, we have a show, with the original cast, we are going to see Sam and Buck again, it’s already not so bad! Anyway, Steve trusted him enough to be on his own so we can trust Bucky too :)

Also, I hope things stay that way when it comes to Steve (and even Tony). RDJ and Evans said that they were done with the MCU and it’s a good thing at this point of the story. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the guys so much that I wish they could have played Cap and Tony until they were 90, I am DEVASTATED to let them go, but after what happened to Steve and Tony in Endgame, it’s better for them not to come back. I’m telling you this a big Supernatural fan, a show where death has lost all its meaning because the characters spend their time coming back from the dead. They should have stuck to “What is dead should stay dead” and I hope that the MCU does it because that’s what makes Tony’s sacrifice so powerful: the fact that he’s not going to come back. 

Anyway, I hope that my explanations were clear. Speaking about time travel is already complicated enough for me in French so I hope that my Frenglish was understandable. Somehow. ^^;;

Enjoy your weekend ♥

#pmasks #endgame #endgame spoilers #spoilers