#with crows entering their iron age

[journeytothewestresearch]

The Crow's Nest Chan Master of JTTW

I am reading back through Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西遊記) and was reminded of a strange, seemingly throwaway character who appears at the end of chapter 19, the "Crow's Nest Chan Master" (Wuchao chanshi, 烏巢禪師). He is described as an accomplished cultivator who lives in a juniper tree nest on Pagoda Mountain (Futu shan, 浮屠山), just beyond the border of Tibet (Wusicang, 烏斯藏). Zhu Bajie claims the master once asked him to jointly practice austerities, but the pig-spirit passed on the opportunity. Flash back to the present, and the pilgrims pass into his domain. After a brief chat, the Crow's Nest Chan master orally passes on the Heart Sutra (Xin jing, 心經) to Tripitaka.

There are two things that interest me about the Chan Master. The first is his magical abilities. Sun Wukong is offended by the monk but fails to hit him with his staff:

Enraged, Pilgrim lifted his iron rod and thrust it upward violently, but garlands of blooming lotus flowers were seen together with a thousand-layered shield of auspicious clouds. Though Pilgrim might have the strength to overturn rivers and seas, he could not catch hold of even one strand of the crow's nest (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 391).

This reminds me of an event from Acts of the Buddha (Sk: Buddhacarita; Ch: Fo suoxing za, 佛所行讚, 2nd-century), an ancient biography of the Buddha:

The host of Mara hastening, as arranged, each one exerting his utmost force, taking each other’s place in turns, threatening every moment to destroy [the Buddha, but] … Their flying spears, lances, and javelins, stuck fast in space, refusing to descend; the angry thunderdrops and mighty hail, with these, were changed into five-colour’d lotus flowers…” (Beal, 1883, pp. 152 and 153).

This points to the Crow's Nest Chan Master having great holy powers.

The second thing that interests me is that he is based on a historical monk, Niaoke Daolin (鳥窠道林, lit: "Bird's Nest" Daolin; 741–824). Here is his full biography from the Records of the Transmission of the Lamp (Jingde chuandenglu, 景德傳燈錄, 1004 to 1007):

Chan master Niaoke Daolin ... was from Fuyang in Hangzhou and his family name was Pan. His mother, whose maiden name was Zhu, once dreamt of the rays of the sun entering her mouth, after which she conceived. When the baby was born a strange fragrance pervaded the room, so the name ‘Fragrant Light’ was given to the boy. He left the home life at the age of nine and received the full precepts at the Guoyuan Temple in Jing (Jingling, Hubei) when he was twenty-one years old. Later he went to the Ximing Monastery in Chang’an to study the Huayan Jing (Avatasaka Sūtra) and the Śāstra on the Arising of Faith (Śraddhotpada Śāstra, Aśvagosa) under the Dharma Teacher Fuli, who also introduced him to the Song of the Real and Unreal, and had him practise meditation. Once Niaoke asked Fuli, ‘Could you say how one meditates and how to exercise the heart?’ Teacher Fuli was silent for a long time, so then the master bowed three times and withdrew. It happened that at this time Tang Emperor Taizong had called the First Teacher in the Empire [Daoqin] of Jing Mountain to the Imperial Palace and Daolin went to pay him a formal visit, obtaining the True Dharma from him. Returning south the master first came to the Yongfu Temple on Mount Gu (Zhejiang), where there was a stūpa dedicated to the Pratyekabuddhas. At this time both monks and laymen were gathering there for a Dharma-talk. The master also entered the hall, carrying his walking stick, which emitted a clicking sound. There was a Dharma-teacher present from a temple called Lingying, whose name was Taoguang, and who asked the master, ‘Why make such a sound in this Dharma-meeting?’ ‘Without making a sound who would know that it was a Dharmameeting?’ replied the master. Later, on Qinwang Mountain, the master saw an old pine tree with lush foliage, its branches shaped like a lid, so he settled himself there, in the tree, which is why the people of that time called him Chan Master Niaoke (Bird’s Nest). Then magpies made their nest by the master’s side and became quite tame through the intimacy with a human – so he was also referred to as the Magpie Nest Monk. One day the master’s attendant Huitong suddenly wished to take his leave. ‘Where are you off to then?’ asked the master. ‘Huitong left the home life for the sake of the Dharma, but the venerable monk has not let fall one word of instruction, so now it’s a question of going here and there to study the Buddha-dharma,’ replied Huitong. ‘If it could be said that there is Buddha-dharma,’ said the master, ‘I also have a little here,’ whereupon he plucked a hair from the robe he was wearing and blew it away. Suddenly Huitong understood the deep meaning. During the Yuan reign period (806-820 CE) Bai Juyi was appointed governor of this commandery and so went to the mountain to pay the master a courtesy call. He asked the master, ‘Is not the Chan Master’s residing here very dangerous?’ ‘Is not your Excellency’s position even more so?’ countered the master. ‘Your humble student’s place is to keep the peace along the waterways and in the mountains. What danger is there in that?’ asked Bai Juyi. ‘When wood and fire meet there is ignition – the nature of thinking is endless,’ replied the master, ‘so how can there not be danger?’ ‘What is the essence of the Buddha-dharma?’ asked Bai. ‘To refrain from all evil and do all that is good,’ answered the master. ‘A three-year-old child already knows these words,’ said Bai. ‘Although a three-year-old can say them, an old man of eighty can’t put them into practice!’ countered the master. Bai then made obeisance. In the fourth year, during the tenth day of the second month of the reign period Changqing (824 CE), the master said to his attendant, ‘Now my time is up.’ And having spoken he sat on his cushion and passed away. He was eighty-four years old and had been a monk for sixty-three years. (Textual note: Some say the master’s name was Yuanxiu, but this is probably his posthumous name.) (Whitfiled, n.d., pp. 56-58).

Sources:

Beal, S. (Trans.). (1883). The Fo-sho-hing-tsan-king: A Life of Buddha by Asvaghosha Bodhisattva. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/foshohingtsankin00asva/mode/2up.

Whitfiled, R. S. (Trans.). (n.d.). Records of the Transmission of the Lamp: Volume 2 - The Early Masters. Hokun Trust. Retrieved from https://terebess.hu/zen/mesterek/Lamp2.pdf

Wu, C., & Yu, A. C. (2012). The Journey to the West (Vols. 1-4) (Rev. ed.). Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press.

#Journey to the West #JTTW #Sun Wukong #Monkey King #Tripitaka #Tang Monk #Tang Sanzang #Xuanzang #Zhu Bajie #Pigsy #Crow's Nest Chan Master #JTTW characters

[istumpysk]

Okay, given that you think the show switched around a lot of endings (very valid, to be honest), how likely do you think it is that they gave Tommen Tyrion's ending?

The gargoyles watched him ascend. Their eyes glowed red as hot coals in a brazier. Perhaps once they had been lions, but now they were twisted and grotesque. - Bran IV, AGOT

Stone and shattered gargoyles lay strewn across the yard. They fell just where I did, Bran thought when he saw them. Some of the gargoyles had broken into so many pieces it made him wonder how he was alive at all. - Bran VII, ACOK

Tyrion Lannister was sitting on the ledge above the door to the Great Hall, looking for all the world like a gargoyle. - Jon I, AGOT

Motionless as a gargoyle, Tyrion Lannister hunched on one knee atop a merlon. - Tyrion XIII, ACOK

I am by no means certain about Tyrion's endgame but I just came across these quotes while rereading ACOK and I am intrigued. What do you think?

I completely agree with your observation that George has intentionally connected Tyrion to the gargoyles.

"Yes. The gods have been kind to you, Sansa. You are a lovely girl. It seems almost obscene to squander such sweet innocence on that gargoyle." "What gargoyle?" Sansa did not understand. - Sansa III, ASOS

But I'm not sure what the takeaway is.

It seems quite probable that Tommen will throw himself from a window in Maegor's Holdfast.

There's the historical parallel:

Yet all these were as naught against the tragedy that descended on the court and king. On the twenty-second day of the ninth moon of 133 AC, Jaehaera of House Targaryen, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and the last surviving child of King Aegon II, perished at the age of ten. The little queen died just as her mother, Queen Helaena, had, throwing herself from a window in Maegor's Holdfast onto the iron spikes that lined the dry moat below. Impaled through breast and belly, she twisted in agony for half an hour before she could be lifted free, whereupon she passed from this life at once. - Fire & Blood

Plus, throughout A Feast For Crows, George consistently emphasizes the iron spikes whenever Cersei is on the drawbridge:

She paused upon the drawbridge that spanned the dry moat, gazing down at the spikes below. - Cersei I, AFFC

x

She left him on the drawbridge that spanned the dry moat with its bed of iron spikes and entered Maegor's Holdfast alone. - Cersei V, AFFC

x

"Should Ser Loras fall, Your Grace will need to find another worthy for the Kingsguard," Lord Qyburn said as they crossed over the spiked moat that girded Maegor's Holdfast. - Cersei VII, AFFC

Lastly, in the epilogue, Kevan Lannister remarks about the iron spikes, then the text quickly transitions to the lack of available Kingsguard to watch over Tommen:

The dry moat surrounding Maegor's Holdfast was three feet deep in snow, the iron spikes that lined it glistening with frost. The only way in or out of Maegor's was across the drawbridge that spanned that moat. A knight of the Kingsguard was always posted at its far end. Tonight the duty had fallen to Ser Meryn Trant. With Balon Swann hunting the rogue knight Darkstar down in Dorne, Loras Tyrell gravely wounded on Dragonstone, and Jaime vanished in the riverlands, only four of the White Swords remained in King's Landing, and Ser Kevan had thrown Osmund Kettleblack (and his brother Osfryd) into the dungeon within hours of Cersei's confessing that she had taken both men as lovers. That left only Trant, the feeble Boros Blount, and Qyburn's mute monster Robert Strong to protect the young king and royal family. - Epilogue, ADWD

It's not a lot, but it's enough for me. Lol

As much as I'd love for it to be Tyrion, Tommen feels like the safer bet. :)

#stumpy ask #wintry-ritu

[withfireandbl00d]

Aegon I Targaryen, also known as Aegon the Conqueror and Aegon the Dragon, was the first Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and king on the Iron Throne, having conquered six of the Seven Kingdoms during the Conquest. The dragonlord was the founder of the ruling Targaryen dynasty of Westeros.

Appearance and Character :

Aegon was tall, broad-shouldered and powerful in appearance, with purple eyes and short-cut silver-gold hair. He was very charismatic and commanding. During his Conquest he typically wore a shirt of black scales, greaves, gauntlets, and a cloak into battle and wielded Blackfyre, a bastard sword made of Valyrian steel. His crown was a simple circlet of Valyrian steel, set with big square-cut rubies.

Aegon was seen as an enigma even to his contemporaries. He was a solitary person whose only friend was Orys Baratheon, who was widely believed to be his bastard half-brother. The king was a great warrior who only rode his dragon, Balerion, for battle or travel and never entered tourneys. Aegon remained faithful to his sisters and left governance in their hands and only took command when necessary. While he was harsh with those who defied him, he was generous to those that bent the knee.

Aegon is not considered to have been particularly pious. According to a semi-canon source, he followed the Faith of the Seven for political reasons. Aegon was a dragon dreamer according to another semi-canon source.

Quotes by Aegon :

"When the sun sets, your line shall end."

—Aegon to Harren Hoare

"A king should never sit easy"

—Aegon to his armorers

Quotes about Aegon :

"On the seventh day, a cloud of ravens burst from the towers of Dragonstone to bring Lord Aegon's word to the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. To the seven kings they flew, to the Citadel of Oldtown, to lords both great and small. All carried the same message: from this day forth there would be but one king in Westeros. Those who bent the knee to Aegon of House Targaryen would keep their lands and titles. Those who took up arms against him would be thrown down, humbled, and destroyed."

—writings of Gyldayn

"Aegon the Conqueror brought fire and blood to Westeros, but afterward he gave them peace, prosperity, and justice."

—Daenerys Targaryen to her supporters

"Aegon once stood here as I do, looking down on this table. Do you think we would name him Aegon the Conqueror today if he had not had dragons?"

—Stannis Baratheon to Davos Seaworth

Reign : 1–37 AC

Coronation : 2 BC(Aegonfort) 1 AC(Oldtown)

Full name : Aegon of House Targaryen, First of His Name

Titles :

Lord of Dragonstone

King of All Westeros

Shield of His People

King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men

Lord of the Seven Kingdoms

Protector of the Realm

Predecessor : Lord Aerion Targaryen(as Lord of Dragonstone)

Heir : Prince Aenys Targaryen

Successor : King Aenys I Targaryen

Aliases :

Aegon the Conqueror

Aegon the Dragonlord

Aegon Dragonlord

Aegon the Dragon

Aegon of Dragonstone

Born : 27 BC Dragonstone

Died : 37 AC(aged 63) Dragonstone

Buried : Dragonstone

Race : Valyrian

Culture : Crownlander

Dynasty : Targaryen

Queens :

Visenya Targaryen (1–37 AC)

Rhaenys Targaryen (1–10 AC)

Issue :

With Rhaenys: King Aenys I Targaryen

With Visenya: King Maegor I Targaryen

Father : Lord Aerion Targaryen

Mother : Lady Valaena Velaryon

Books :

The World of Ice & Fire (mentioned)

Fire & Blood (mentioned)

The Rise of the Dragon (mentioned)

The Princess and the Queen (mentioned)

The Hedge Knight (mentioned)

The Sworn Sword (mentioned)

The Mystery Knight (mentioned)

A Game of Thrones (mentioned)

A Clash of Kings (mentioned)

A Storm of Swords (mentioned)

A Feast for Crows (mentioned)

A Dance with Dragons (mentioned)

Fancast(s) : Charlie Hunam / Henry Cavill

#house targaryen #house of the dragon #house velaryon #aegon targaryen #king aegon #aegon i targaryen #aegon the conqueror #the world of ice and fire #twoiaf #fire and blood #the rise of the dragon #the princess and the queen #the hedge knight #the sworn sword #the mystery knight #a game of thrones #hotd #a clash of kings #a storm of swords #a feast for crows #a dance with dragons #asoiaf

[officials1nx]

My Favorite Movies (in no particular order),but I might come back to add more:

1) Stand and Deliver

2) Blindspotting

3) Friday

4) Batman (1989)

5) The Dark Knight

6) The Lost Boys

7) 8 Mile

8) The Butterfly Effect

9) Trick ‘r Treat

10) Snow Piercer

11) Creed

12) Chef

13) Code 8

14) Fight Club

15) Ip Man

16) John Wick

17) The Godfather

18) Pinero

19) Selena

20) La Bamba

21) Mi Familia

22) Dead Poets Society

23) Remember the Titans

24) Coach Carter

25) Spider-man into the Spider-Verse

26) Bumblebee

27) Rudy

28) Good Will Hunting

29) Clerks

30) Forrest Gump

31) Terminator 2

32) The Matrix

33) Inception

34) Everything Everywhere All At Once

35) Tenet

36) District 9

37) Blade Runner

38) Push

39) Jumper

40) ATL

41) Drumline

42) Chappie

43) Kubo and the Two Strings

44) Kin

45) Sleight

46) Akira

47) Your Name

48) A Silent Voice

49) The Lego Movie

50) Beetlejuice

51) Batman Returns (1992)

52) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

53) Enter the Dragon

54) Street Dreams

55) Ready to Rumble

56) Get Rich or Die Tryin’

57) The Book of Life

58) Coco

59) The Mitchells vs. The Machines

60) The Iron Giant

61) How to Train Your Dragon

62) Wreck it Ralph

63) Rise of the Guardians

64) Deadpool

65) Deadpool 2

66) The Suicide Squad (2021)

67) Captain America: Civil War

68) V for Vendetta

69) Thor Ragnarok

70) Spider-Man 2

71) The Fast and the Furious

72) The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

73) Mortal Kombat (1995)

74) Logan

75) X-Men: First Class

76) Step Up

77) El Mariachi

78) Desperado

79) From Dusk till Dawn

80) The Crow

81) Sin City

82) John Carpenter’s Vampires

83) Underworld

84) Interview with the Vampie

85) Queen of the Damned

86) The Craft

87) Tombstone

88) Speed

89) The Bourne Identity

90) Red Notice

91) Prey

92) Donnie Darko

93) A Nightmare on Elm Street

94) Get Out

95) Train to Busan

96) The Cabin in the Woods

97) Shaun of the Dead

98) Hot Fuzz

99) Army of Darkness

100) IT (1990)

101) The Untouchables

102) Ghostbusters

103) Ghostbusters 2

104) Ghostbusters: Afterlife

105) Scream (1996)

106) Toy Story

107) Birdman

108) Spider-Man: Homecoming

109) Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse

110) The Mask

111) Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls

112) Idiocracy

113) White Chicks

114) The Other Guys

115) This Is The End

116) Holes

117) Knives Out

118) Office Space

119) Mean Girls

120) Wayne’s World

121) 30 Minutes or Less

122) We’re The Millers

123) 22 Jump Street

124) Keanu

125) Hot Rod

126) The Night Before

127) How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

128) The Santa Claus

129) Love Actually

130) Serendipity

131) Just Friends

132) Violent Night

133) Die Hard

134) The Nightmare Before Christmas

135) Elf

136) Star Wars: A New Hope

137) Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

138) Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

139) Star Wars: Attack of the Clones

140) Star Wars: Rogue One

141) The Rocketeer

142) Lilo & Stitch

143) Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 1

144) Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2

145) Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3

146) Avengers: Age of Ultron

147) Black Panther

148) Ant-Man

149) Avengers: Infinity War

150) Avengers: End Game

151) Inside Out

152) The Incredibles

153) The Incredibles 2

154) Cars

155) Onward

156) Monster Inc.

157) Ratatouille

158) Wall-E

159) Kung-Fu Hustle

160) Snake in the Monkey’s Shadow

#movies #horror #action #suspense #thriller #espionage #animated #animation #anime #Japanese Animation #spy #storytelling #Marvel #MCU #DC #Comics #nerd #geek #Disney #Netflix #streaming #streaming services #marvelcinematicuniverse #movie #marvelstudios #80s #90s #2000s #2010s #theaters

[flvvrpetals]

╰     ┈     [  madeleine madden , 24 , female , she/they ]  in the time of dragons , violet drumm is entering the game of thrones . said to be practical +  devoted , we can only hope that is the case as regrettably they are also well known to be reserved +  inflexible. when asked about them , people are always reminded of the haunting crash of waves on the shore, bleeding hands leaving behind dark stains, banging desperately on a door to be let in. though they are the lady of old wyk , their true loyalties lie with house drumm and rumour has it that if given the choice they would support independence of the seven kingdoms / their family above all else .

𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬

FULL NAME: violet drumm. TITLES:   lady of old wyk. AGE:   twenty four. GENDER:  woman, she/they. ORIENTATION: bisexual. RELIGION:   the drowned god. SPOKEN LANGUAGES:   common tongue. STATUS: unmarried & unbetrothed. LOYALTY: house drumm, house harlaw, & the iron islands & iron fleet.

𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐓𝐢𝐞𝐬

PARENTS: ruling lord drumm ( utp ) , ruling lady alannys drumm nee harlaw. ( deceased ). SIBLINGS: lord victarion drumm ( 32 ). CHILDREN:  none.  OTHERS: harlaws are their cousins. 

𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

- was adopted as a baby by her parents, her mother would gently tease that the drowned god had gifted her a daughter who’s cries could nearly drown out the waves.

- as soon as she could walk, she began chasing after her brother. little legs struggling to keep up with the older boy, tugging on his leg to make him hold her. if she could have been hos shadow she would have.

- despite being an ironborn, violet longed to be a kingsguard one day. having played knights with euron till they got called home by their siblings, thrusting imaginary swords at each other until one would trip and fall into the sea.

- her mother broke her heart at the age of ten, telling her that there was no place for violet to be a knight in this world.

- she began sailing when she was seven, like all ironborn children do, and her first voyage was with her brother & cousin rory. she nearly fell off the ship a dozen times, scrambling to climb the rigging when one of their backs was turned. she fell in love with the endless horizon she could see from the crow’s nest.

- regularly began sailing after that, trailing after whichever cousin she spotted first. despite learning to sail, violet was kept from most of the actual fighting they did. it wasn’t till she was thirteen, stuck in the midst of a battle on board, her eyes saw the sword coming for Rory’s back before her cousin did. violet didn’t hesitate to use the blade she had been gifted years before to stab the man before he could harm her family.

- violet began seeking out lani after this, finding comradeship & mentorship in the other. they agreed to teach violet how to truly fight, not the fancy way of knights, but the dirty kind where she would always walk a victor.

- while she grew up alongside all her cousins, due to their ages, euron became her best friend. he was her closest confidant after victarion, even telling euron secrets she never told her brother. they would fight together, sail together, run amuck on the islands together. when he left for the capital to join the kings guard, violet sobbed as soon as his ship left. usually quiet girl filled with a rage that he could go somewhere she could not follow. for months afterwards, violet remained withdraw, focusing only on her duties till he finally wrote her.

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬

- is very reserved and quiet, at times perhaps eerily so to those who do not know them. resistant to change of any shape, her routine is hers and she wishes to guard it fiercely.

- was frustrated that rory left the islands and fleet to marry a man, especially a storm lander. is skeptical of dyanas betrothal as well.

- remains devoted to her family to a fault, if something were to happen to victarion, they would not hesitate to rain hellfire on whoever was behind it.

- violet more like violent amirite

- has a tendency to risk herself for what she perceives is the best outcome, whether it be diving into a fight or launching herself into the rigging during a storm.

- has an unshakable faith that her brother will always save her if it is not yet her time.

**open to any & all connections, she’s been all over most of the ports**

#thrones.intro #format is bad because mobile #violet drumm && intro #tw violence mention

[future-of-features]

Soon, Mama - 2/10/23

The extremely loud crows of the roosters and beeps of the passing vehicles awoke me from my deep slumber… the sun is slowly rising, while all my siblings are still sleeping. I looked at the clock and checked the time: it's 5:32 AM already. I woke up my brothers and sisters through our mother's traditional way of waking me up when I was their age—pinching their ears. As soon as I pinched each of their ears, I was amused by their reactions. I went to my sweet at sixty Mama, and I saw her ironing all of our polos and pants… oh there I embraced her. "Good morning, Mama!" I uttered to lighten up the mood. Then I saw her tear up a little bit… As the eldest of five, my two brown eyes witnessed Mama's hard work throughout the years for us to finish our studies. Accepting every uniforms from our neighborhood for her to iron, no matter how many there is… and now, because of her ironing uniforms, I'm the first of her children to be the one to assist in my siblings' expenses, after I just passed the board examination to become a protector of the law. Then I heard her say, "I hope time runs fast… and your brothers soon turn out to be like you… wearing a dress in honor, those uniforms would be the ones I would be glad to iron." I smiled at her. As I wear my police cap… I told her with pride, "Soon, Mama."

Motivation is when your dreams put on work clothes.

Policemen. Soldiers. Doctors. Nurses. Teachers. Security guards. Students. All of these are similar in terms of wearing clothes of honor that the nation equally needs—uniforms. They may all be different in shades of blue, white or gray… they're all still the same clothes that define identities that have aims and dreams for a better world. Policemen, soldiers and security guards—men that wear uniforms to serve the country, secure us and promote peace and justice. Without these men in uniforms, our world will be a haven of holocaust. Without these men, wars would be rampant in every corner of the planet. Doctors, nurses and teachers—people who studied very hard to achieve what they have today. Medical combatants to cure the ill and the teaching force to educate the vacuous. Without these perseverant people in uniforms, we wouldn't achieve a healthy and intelligent world.

And finally, students… but do they have significance to the world? Do they have the same value as the careers mentioned above? "Students are still unfurnished youngsters, only mere apprentices to the knowledgeable…" That's what they say, but no… students are also warriors wearing uniforms. They, we rather, do not wear uniforms just because it's a mandatory requirement in entering the campus premises. We do not wear uniforms for clout… we wear uniforms because soon enough, we are going to be part of the people in uniforms that contribute to the world. These uniforms are not just clothes in white that we wear everyday to go to school… we are the "hope of the nation" that soon will become the next generation of policemen, doctors, nurses, teachers, soldiers, security guards and more.

Never belittle your work clothes, thus respect them and wear them in full dignity, for these uniforms showcase and identify your part as a man in the world.

My older brother started his loud motorcycle, a sign that he would now go to work. As the youngest, I would always be the ones left with Mama in the house. I would be the ones to help her carry all the uniforms she would iron for the day, and now it haunts me that I would leave her… for college. What would happen to Mama? She would be all alone, she would no longer have her sweet little boy that would attempt to wear the uniforms she's ironing. As I held my bags with all my school uniforms in it, I hugged her tight before I left our home. She cried, and she cried with the most painful tears… "Mama…" I said, before breaking my voice as well. "Thank you, Mama, I could iron all these uniforms… uniforms that would help you see me in the court room…" My tears finally went down. She hugged me and kissed my forehead. "For you son, for all of you and your brothers… I would be glad to iron all the uniforms in the world. Please, son, when you return here… make me proud… I want to see you wear the best uniform… a toga…" I smiled at her. As I stepped foot out the house, I told her with pride… "Soon Mama."

#short story #narrative #touching #uniform

[goatlingsvent]

Lupisvulpes also dated a trans person despite being straight herself, I believe her intent was to encourage them to detranisition because she herself also concluded trans people being "just as perverted as gay people" and thus just as icky. Ironically if she was refusing to acknowledge them as their gender identity, she'd be, at least in her mind, in a lesbian relationship (dude was a trans guy) and this would be seem to be the case as she was nortious for misgendering him!

Also she sold off all the characters for her original series so she can't continue the series, this isnt a add on the growing list of the controversy irs just not a lot of people know that but still get confused why she won't continue the series. Additionally most of the new owners don't like lupis after the incident and or don't plan on reselling the characters either.

So please don't try and "steal" the characters thinking your reclaiming them. They already have new, better owners who have all but given them much more queer friendly back stories.

Point is of my rant however: my character uncommon-ish species that I had to go out of my way to look up to find any examples of, and none of what I found that look like my guy, it was a water fowl, and "dry land birds" are FAR more common. In my experience ravens, crows, jays and other corvids are much more common- and my guy wasn't a penguin either.

I'm not gating keeping the species either, is just the design while on the simpler side was 1:1 with the design I entered in their raffle, and they claimed to have never seen my design before, a lie.

I'm ok with "sibling" designs. It's just they took the design I entered 1:1 in their raffle, a simple design but the species and circumstances making at least hella sus to me. Had it been something way more common id easily shrug it off. But no, I had a very uncommon species by furry standards.

The reason the Christrain thing was brought up is I've never heard the words Christian and furry in the same sentence without the said "CF" (Christian furry) saying or doing some inheritly anti-christrin but also anti-furry: stealing someone's uncommon species fursona design- yes a real life animal, but us furies have a huge species bias so if it's not one of the cooler animals or as well known it gets shafted big time. Stealing and lying about is anti-christrian, but stealing someone's design and profiting off it is also anti-furry.

Like again, if it wasnt for the fact I entered in their raffle which was held through Google forms, I couldn't claim oh yeah they've already seen my design and made a 1:1 copy of it to keep for themselves because they are uninspired as all fuck. But I did enter and I paid to enter. Which caused some drama because something about the legal differences between raffles, lotteries and gambling or whatever. A Google search corrects me and that you can pay to enter raffles: however unlike a lottery there MUST be a guaranteed winner. Which I think there was.

It's just, claiming you never saw my uncommon species design before despite entering in your raffle some months earlier (about the time it would take to finish a fursuit give or take a month or two) with that said exact species and you turn around and 1:1 recreate it. Had I won the raffle I'd have the suit.

So like I shouldn't have done what I've done: I actually offered to buy it back much more than they were asking for, even offered to make stuff for them only for them turn around and give it someone else.

I don't trust Christrian furries any more. It's a walking contridicting giving the furry community has ties to the kink and LGBTQA+ communities which APPEARS TO GO AGAINST MOSR CHRISTIAN VALUES.

No seriously look it up, the first ever conventions that were anime related doubled as furry ones and the first furry conventions were kink met ups. Not saying modern furrism hasn't changed to very much being a welcoming space for all ages, but know your history given it's deeply connected to queer, kink and even anime history.

🤲

#lupisvulpes #goatlingsvent #tw homophobia mention

[slipbody1]

Antioxidant Foods, Herbs, Supplements, Benefits And More

When applied topically, the phytochemical also promotes young-looking, healthy skin. It’s your first and perhaps the last line of defense against viruses, bacteria, and other intruders. If your immune system cannot respond in time, diseases can easily enter your body and cause insurmountable damage to your health. When coupled with these activities, astaxanthin can be more effective at reducing high blood pressure. 2000 study examined blood profile of 24 participants after 14-day use of astaxanthin. Results seem to indicate that the supplement can reduce blood oxidation and delays blood clotting. Several studies showed that both oral consumption and topical application of astaxanthin resulted in significant improvements in the appearance of wrinkles and crow’s feet in men and women over 8 weeks. Not only can astaxanthin help you prevent damage from UV rays, it may also reverse signs of aging such as wrinkles, crow’s feet, and age spots. Astaxanthin may slow osteoarthritis progression and address symptoms, giving you a better quality of life as you age. Osteoarthritis occurs when there aren’t enough new cells to replace the ones that are being degraded, and so our joints become stiff, painful, and inflamed. It is not recommended to exceed 5,000 mg of EPA and DHA combined per day, from either diet or supplements . Taking krill oil is a simple way to increase your EPA and DHA intake. Lack of sufficient number of skilled workers in production farms and insufficient collaboration between universities and commercial enterprises. Pluvialis is capable of growing in photoautotrophic, heterotrophic, or mixotrophic growth conditions in indoors, open raceway ponds or closed photobioreactors in batch, fed batch, or continuous modes. Pluvialis-derived astaxanthin on various physiological systems in human and animal subjects. https://bestreviewstips.co.uk/astaxanthin-antioxidant-supplements_18371/

Tanaka T., Morishita Y., Suzui M., Kojima T., Okumura A., Mori H. Chemoprevention of mouse urinary bladder carcinogenesis by the naturally occurring carotenoid astaxanthin.

In the animal kingdom, astaxanthin is found in the highest concentration in the muscles of salmon.

Nishigaki I., Rajendran P., Venugopal R., Ekambaram G., Sakthisekaran D., Nishigaki Y. Cytoprotective role of astaxanthin against glycated protein/iron chelate-induced toxicity in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

A high cholesterol diet may increase carotenoid absorption while a low fat diet reduces its absorption.

Heterotrophic cultivation requires reduced carbon source—such as carbohydrates or acetate which need to be supplied from alternative source.

In order to cope with microalgae culture contamination, the techniques that are generally used include abiotic stresses such as NO3- limitation, pH stress, temperature stress, light stress, toxic substances, and shear forces. There are some other techniques for parasite removal including salvage harvest, chemical agents , physical methods, biological methods . Astaxanthin is a lipophilic compound and can be dissolved in solvents and oils. Solvents, acids, edible oils, microwave assisted and enzymatic methods are used for astaxanthin extraction. Astaxanthin in Haematococcus was extracted with different acid treatments, hydrochloric acid giving up to 80% recovery of the pigment . When encysted cells were treated with 40% acetone at 80 °C for 2 min followed by kitalase, cellulose, abalone and acetone powder, 70% recovery of astaxanthin was obtained . Structure and biosynthesis of carotenoids produced by a novel Planococcus sp. Lu Y.P., Liu S.Y., Sun H., Wu X.M., Li J.J., Zhu L. Neuroprotective effect of astaxanthin on H2O2-induced neurotoxicity in vitro and on focal cerebral ischemia in vivo. Jyonouchi H., Sun S., Iijima K., Gross M.D. Antitumor activity of astaxanthin and its mode of action.

Top Antioxidant Foods

Recently, a simple method for the direct extraction of lipids from high moisture H. Pluvialis microalgae was successfully achieved using liquefied dimethyl ether (Boonnoun et al., 2014). Carotenoids are absorbed into the body like lipids and transported via the lymphatic system into the liver. The absorption of carotenoids is dependent on the accompanying dietary components.

Recovery Of Astaxanthin

Pluvialis is reported to be contaminated by fungal parasites and zooplanktonic predators (e.g., amoebas, ciliates, and rotifers), as well as other microalgae and cyanobacteria (Han et al., 2013). Detection of contaminants is prerequisite for preventing and controlling of microbial contamination in mass microalgal culture. Methods of detection usually include microscopy and staining, flow cytometry, molecular based detection and monitoring. Main advantage of expeller pressing is simple operation and minimization of contamination from external sources. Algal oil recovery efficiency of 75% can be achieved in a single step. Bead milling utilizes vessels filled with tiny glass, ceramic or steel beads that are agitated at high speeds. The dried biomass is fed in these vessels, where continuous exposure of biomass to the grinding media leads to cell-wall rupture, and subsequent release of intracellular compounds. This method is most effective when biomass concentration in the algal cake after harvesting is between 100 and 200 g/l (Greenwell et al., 2010). Other vitamins and minerals that have powerful antioxidant properties include vitamin A, vitamin E, manganese and selenium. The term “antioxidant” doesn’t actually refer to one specific compound but rather the activity of specific compounds in the body. There are many different types of antioxidants, including several antioxidant vitamins, minerals and polyphenols. When certain types of oxygen molecules are allowed to travel freely in the body, they cause what’s known as oxidative damage, which is the formation of free radicals. When antioxidant levels in the body are lower than that of free radicals — due to poor nutrition, toxin exposure or other factors — oxidation wreaks havoc in the body.

We believe that everyone can optimize not only their athletic performance but their human potential. The way we believe we can optimize performance is throughtransparency, clinically effective doses, and clinically proven ingredients with evidence-based outcomes.We provide the nutrients you need to power your active lifestyle. Citrulline Malate is a unique combination of the nonessential amino acid L-Citrulline and malate, which comes from malic acid. Citrulline Malate is perhaps one of the most impressive and versatile supplements proven to help support faster muscle recovery. Supplementing with Whey Protein Isolate before, during, or after your training, stimulates protein synthesis and minimizes protein breakdown , which are the two biological processes that are essential for faster muscle recovery.

#astaxanthin antioxidant supplements

[rcksmith]

Sun — Kaz Brekker

Resume: Feelings are destabilizing things.

A/N: This story is not set in the books of Six Crows, I also changed the age of the characters to twenty-something because the idea of ​​writing something about a child makes me uncomfortable. All my stories, of any characters, are with them being of up age. Just like many fanfics out there in the teen series.

English is not my first language, so I so sorry if have a mistake.

Couple: Kaz Brekker/ Fem!Reader.

Warnings: Mention of fight, swearing, mention of post-traumatic stress, angst, mention of kiss, mention of desire, desire, mention of death, but so fucking fluff.

Word count: 3k.

Requests are open. Love you ❤️

— — — —

There were few things in life that he was absolutely sure of. Things that were immutable, solid, unshakable. That even the strongest of winds would not be able to shake the structure. A life built on the basis of an equation of chaos, suffering, death and despair generated a result where it was necessary to be sure of something. And one of those certainties was the ability of himself, of his instincts, of his intelligence, the notion that he himself was a person capable of resolving any type of situation with iron fists. The second was the certainty of the loyalty of his crows, of the two people who, he knew, would never turn their backs on him.

And the third... the third was that when Kaz Brekker first laid eyes on you, he was sure that you would divide his life between a before and an after.

It was a lepid, ferocious feeling that swept the body of The Bastard of the Barrel from the top of his head to the tip of his polished boots. The heat immediately gave way to a cold sweat, a shiver as if receiving a midnight sigh at the back of the neck. There was a quick sensation of burning in the heat of an icy fire, but his composure did not flinch a single millimeter. He had learned to keep it in all situations, trained with steel fists.

Kaz looked at you deeply, from the top of your hair to the tip of your feet, trying to find answers as to why you had triggered such disturbing sensations with a simple and ridiculous exchange of looks. But he found no answers. He found neither after a day, nor after a week, damn it, he did not find nor after a month!

You had joined the infamous trio because they needed a fighting expert, someone who could defeat a good number of men on her own without needing backup, which would make their bigger and more complex robberies much easier. And when they found you, a girl who had been the subject for a experiment to create super soldiers, your ability to fight, physical endurance, and your sense of loyalty, made you perfect for the job.

But none of that explained why, whenever the stormy blue eyes met yours, he felt like he was ricochet by living eels. It was exasperating, frustrating on so many levels that it was difficult to put into words. Kaz could not expose this misfortune to his two closest people, first because his pride in admitting a disturbance in his subtly balanced world was too great, and second that... even if he considered said that, he would not know how to name those feelings for express what he were feeling.

How would Jesper and Inej understand something that even he did not understand?

Kaz Brekker had a firm and calm demeanor, an implacably logical mind and a way of narrowing his eyes that ensured that his orders were carried out with great efficiency, all according to the moment he wished. Then, just as he did to get rid of any disturbance, he buried those sensations so deeply until, like his overwhelming pains and traumas, they stopped tormenting him.

He thought that, like his flawless and cunning plans, it would have the same effect. That his nerves could get back to normal and he wouldn't have to deal with the feeling that feel hiself whit cold and hot at the same time whenever he laid eyes on you.

But, if it was true that the practice makes perfect, this rule has not been applied in this situation.

The deeper he buried those beginnings of thats sensations, more of them began to flourish, roaring harder, as a constant reminder that he was not that rock of stoicity and absence of feelings that he liked to think he was. It seemed that, just as light existed to exorcise the darkness, you existed to show that he still had a beating heart. Hot blood still coursing through the veins.

It has not helped anything in his cause that, over time, Inej and Jesper have become attache to you. Jesper even more. But if Kaz put aside his frustration and irritation for a second, he would know that he couldn't to blame them. In fact, there was no way to blame every person who approached you, delighted.

Jesper once described you as "the soul of the party", and Inej said that you had fire in your soul. Kaz would not have been able to think of better definitions to put into words what you were. There was thing about the way you laughed, the way you talked, the way your tilting your head and your so easy smile. There was a thing about you. That transformed you into the solar system and people orbited in your gravity like planets.

You had a way with people, Kaz really thought it was a gift, a talent. You were always laughing, smiling, playing with people and making them so comfortable in your presence that, once, Kaz saw a trader, who are in a the middle of a refused to close a contract with Kaz, just melt and give up because of the smile you gave to him.

Nothing from you has been forced, malicious, shrewd or cunning. You really smiled, you really laughed, as if you were...happy. Purely happy. And, in a second of insanity, Kaz wondered if that happiness was possible. If it was possible for him to feel something like this.

But, just as Brekker took his soul close from you as much as he could to avoid any emotion, Jesper did the exact opposite. Very quickly, just like Kaz and Inej are, the two of you became a pair of inseparable friends. Were always together.

Perhaps it was because you two were overwhelmingly alike: Always in the eye of danger, addicted to adrenaline, purely outgoing and liked a good fun. Or maybe it was because, like everyone around you, Jesper felt drawn closer to your warm, joyful and comforting aura.

But whatever it was, the timbre of your laughter followed by Jesper's became a sound as natural as the whistling of the wind. And it didn't take long for you two to become partners in thefts and plans.

However, it didn't take long too for the reactions Kaz had about the influence of your presence to become...louder.

If Kaz Brekker closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment, he could still remember and feel that night perfectly as if it were yesterday:

The plan was succinct: They would have to go through guards, high walls and locks to enter a merchant's residence, open the safe, pick up the jewels and leave. Twenty minutes was the time limit to complete that sequence.

Everyone was assigned to one thing: Kaz would turn off a fabricated security system from a Grisha, Inej would sneak into the shadows to the safe and pick up the jewels, and Jesper and you would be responsible for dealing with the various guards. Everyone would have to meet in the corridor that led to the back exit.

Kaz did not think that that so ridiculous and simple plan it could go wrong. Or that someone could make a slip. To him, it seemed as easy as sneaking into a yacht boat. However, there he was, next to Inej who carried the jewelery bag in her hand, both of them standing in that dimly lit corridor, waiting for you and Jesper to appear.

"It's been three minutes!" Inej pointed, as if Kaz didn't already know that.

Her intonation was concerned, apprehensive, with a certain fear. Kaz thought about saying something, but as soon as his mouth opened to say anything, he heard...

Steps. Hurried steps of two people. No, actually, the two people were running.

Suddenly, you and Jesper burst into the corridor, running as if their lives depended on it. Inej and Kaz would have been worried if it weren't for the bastard and peraltas smiles that stretched across faces of you two, stretching their cheeks.

Then Kaz noticed the reason for the delay. You two carried a giant picture under your left arms. Jesper carried the front end and you the back end, like two children who made a mischief and was running from their mother. True accomplices.

Kaz's jaw opened, his eyes widened slightly and roamed the frame with agitated iris, while Inej was totally baffled.

"C'mon, C'mon!" You exclaimed with laughter in your voice, Jesper and you never stopped running.

As soon all left and took shelter in the safety and peace of the Crow Club closed in that night, Jesper and you fell on the couch, laughing and panting.

"What was that?!” But Kaz was exasperated "Do you both know how much risked the plan?!"

"It was only three minutes, Boss." Jesper defended himself.

"It..." That's when Kaz looked at the painting responsible for all the commotion and fuss.

It was a painting, a landscape by Ravka. The fold. In oil on parchment. A DeKappel. That was worth at least ten thousand Kruges.

“You commented that you needed a new painting for your office.” Your voice took Kaz out of the admiration on the painting, and Jesper and Inej looked at you as if they had discovered that now too.

Jesper and Inej thought it was just for the money...

Kaz looked up into your eyes, and the cold, warm shiver spreading across his chest and snaking to his bones. As it always did the moment yours eyes meeting.

He remembered commenting in passing, in a very vague and obtuse way, that he wanted a new painting in the office. Until that moment, Brekker didn't think you paying attention to what he had to say. Not when it wasn't about a job or plan.

But there you were, proving that you had heard. And that you cared.

His breath caught for a second, the icy chill turned to something warmer, like the first sparks of fire in a fireplace. The first flames that precede the fire.

After that, Kaz began to pay more attention, unconsciously, to what you said. And, consequently, he started paying more attention to you. It had been gradual, sneaky as a snake, imperceptible so he wouldn't be able to root it out. As if the universe, destiny or divines, introduced, grain by grain, a small summer in a landscape frozen by winter.

It all started with your comment about liking it sweeter than salty, that dry wine left you with a headache and that you preferred rum. He evolved to notice how your tone of voice got sweeter when you talked to children or animals, and more serious when it came to the safety of the three crows. And suddenly, as if Kaz already knew this as he knew the sky was blue, he knew how to say how your eyes sparkled when you felt the warmth of the sun on your skin.

In that second, looking at you from the other side of the agitated club that turned into a celebration with dance and music, the world became suspended for a moment. The music became just an echoing, blurry noise, the images turned to slow motion and the air seemed to change in pitch. You, who laughed and speen round in Jesper's arms amid so many people who did the same thing, were the only one who starred as the main attraction.

In that minute, when the breath was slow and lyrical, and the air had a beauty tone, Kaz's eyes caught the exact moment when a beam of sunlight hit your face, shining on your skin as if you were one pirate tropical treasure. In a burst, a second of insanity, like a violin string that burst at the apice of the song, he felt that there was nothing else in the world worth seeing that was not you.

It was a scary, terrifying discovery. Something that made him freeze from head to toe, and all the speed in the world came back so fast that Kaz felt dizzy. He pressed his covered hand to the crow's beak of his cane, as if he needed a reminder of reality. Something that would wake him up from those hellish sensations.

- -

The months passed after that fateful afternoon. Kaz avoided staying close to you any longer than necessary and would strongly and vigorously scold every change of tone within himself whenever he saw you.

He didn't know what those sensations meant, but he also didn't want to find out. He liked challenges and responsibilities, but being around you was proving to be more than he could take. Your presence ignited him in a cold and warm fire, promising a future full of unfulfilled infinite wills. From pain, impotence and doomed to failure. Any feeling for you would be more of a punishment than anything else. The only solution was to get it out of your head.

Of course, he had been trying to do just that since he met you.

But again, the universe did not seem to want to give up from he. Not so easily.

Kaz had to take you along to make a deal with a merchant who was more impassable than a rock. Kaz had tried to negotiate with him before (since he couldn't take the strength or rob what he wanted) and all his efforts were in vain. So, he appealed for the last weapon. The person who always had a natural gift whit other people and always had a real smile that made anybody feel like... as if happiness really existed.

You.

"I'm glad it's hot" You commented, while walking next to Kaz "I don’t like the cold."

How did he know that you would say just that? That was so you. Warm, sweet and cozy things were the embodiment of what you were. It was logical that you preferred the heat. So different from him that, instead of you, enjoyed the cold. Liked the rains and storms, relaxed with the moonlight and felt less tense with the midnight winter breeze.

Kaz understood your personality as he understood the very lines of his hands. You were wild, bordering on reckless, you acted before thinking and you always loved anything that aroused adrenaline. You ran like no one else, jumped from one horse's cell to another, decided to catch the largest number of targets just because you wanted the thrill of fighting five against one. Anything calm, serene and peaceful stirred your restless personality. And Kaz knew exactly your level of restlessness from the way your leg was constantly jumping when you had to sit still for more than a few minutes.

You were a free spirit, forged in the heart of the sun and in the heat of summer. While he was limited by his own body and built in the heart of winter and frozen by the cold of the sea. Anything between you was doomed to fail even before you two met. Kaz Brekker knew this very well.

“He is late.” You grunted, your leg was already starting to jumping when you two spent a measly ten minutes waiting for the man.

You looked back and seemed to find it interesting, because Kaz saw your eyes shine.

"Let's go there?" You pointed, and Kaz had to turn around to see that you were referring to a coffee shop.

Crowded with sweets in the window for a change. Why was he not surprised?

“No.” He turned forward again, both hands on the cane.

"So I go over there and come back quickly."

“Y/n" he just said in a warning tone, giving you a scolding look.

You mumbled something he didn't identify, turned around again and did your best to be quiet. Five minutes passed before that merchant arrived, and Kaz can perfectly follow the change in his posture, change in the man eyes when you greeted him with that summer voice and sunny smile.

It was so vibrant, so vivid that, for a second, Kaz found himself slightly swayed by all the brilliance you emanated. Pulled towards your like an animal needing the warmth of the sun.

It didn't take much for the man to sign and agree with everything Kaz said and imposed. In fact, he suspected that if he had asked him to give him his bank password, the man would have been happy to do so.

"Can we go in the coffee shop now?” You commented as soon as the man left, still turning around to look at you as much as possible.

Kaz restrained the glaring urge to roll his eyes, but he had just landed a very lucrative business just and exclusively because you agreed to help. Even though you didn't gain anything from it. So, if he had to go with you to a goddamn coffee shop so he wouldn't feel like a petty profiteer, he would go to the goddamn coffee shop.

Kaz just walked towards the place, and the wide, summery smile you gave may have he missed a few heartbeats.

Stop it!

Once inside the damn store, you scanned the menu that hung on the wall.

“I never took this one.” You commented, pointing to what appeared to be a very sweet mix of drink. Something that involved ice cream and chocolate with something else.

It was not the kind of comment that had an answer, and Kaz was still engaged in the mission to stay away from you. But he thought that statement was just the reason why you wouldn't order that drink. But, just as you always threw any worldview Kaz had in the latrine, you asked for just that. His eyes were bloodshot with astonishment.

“Why are you going to order something you don't know if you like it?” He asked as soon as you got the drink and paid for it.

"How am I supposed to know if something is good if I never try it?” You said casually, both of you going out of the store. “Wanna try out?”

You held out for he the plastic cup that was covered by a lid that had a hole in the middle, where a fat, transparent straw came out. Kaz looked at you as if you had created a second head.

“Come on, you'll never know if you like it if you don't taste it.” The two of you stopped, you still holding the glass gently towards his mouth.

“No.” Kaz shook his head.

“Come ooon.” You insisted, a petulant and amusing smile plastered on your face.

"No."

You shook the glass, holding it out once more. This time, Kaz gave you a slightly annoyed look.

"You're not going to stop insisting until I take this thing, are you?"

You laughed, with a triumphant and friendly smile “I'm glad you know me so well”

Kaz rolled his eyes, snatching the glass from your hand and bringing the hellish straw to his mouth. Hell, he felt so stupid pulling that stupid drink through that straw. As soon as the sweet liquid invaded his tongue, an explosion of flavors flooded his palate, causing him to remain unresponsive for a moment.

"You liked it!" But just as he unveiled all of your lookes, you knew how to unveil all of his.

Kaz handed you the glass. “Absurdly sweet."

"You liked that I know."

You joked and, for a second, you had aroused he a desire to smile. A succinct curve in lips. With your sunny smiles and summer expressions, you looked like you were out of an enchanted forest inhabited by mystical creatures. Sun nymphs. Maybe Kaz would even have let himself go lightly if, when you took the glass back, your lips had not wrapped around the tip of the straw.

Exactly where his mouth was a second ago.

He pulse quickened so fast that it made the blood burn in his veins. It was impossible not to look down at delicate mouth, the subtle but destabilizing curvature in the center of your lower lip. Suddenly, he was out of breath, his body numb and his heart stopped beating for a second before accelerating to an alarming level.

Everything became hot, stuffy. The world spun away, out of focus, out of existence, leading he on a waltz unlike anything Kaz had ever felt before.

Kaz Brekker was the Bastard of the Barrel. Dirty hands and scammer. Someone trapped by his own body and traumas, unable to allow himself to enjoy human contact. But, hell, he was still a man. And in that moment, in that insane moment, he wanted to pretend, even for a few seconds, that what he wanted was within his reach.

Kaz thought he understood the desire: an attraction. He thought he knew what lust was: a wish that people felt. He had seen countless examples on his bar counter, drunk and chattering about what it was like to want a woman, to long for her. He thought he understood.

And he found that he didn't understand anything.

The desire was a hot and feverish whirlwind that shivered he from head to toe, with dizzying speed, and dragged everything towards perdition, below any intellect, any rationality. Rationally, he shouldn't have thought you were even more beautiful. But he did. He shouldn't feel his breath catch, but he did.

He felt as if he were walking on a narrow suspended board. One misstep and it would be the end of it. Hiding his disturbing thoughts, Kaz looked away from you.

He was ruined for the rest of his life.

#kaz brekker #kaz brekker x reader #kaz brekker x y/n #kaz brekker x you #shadow and bone #inejgayfa #jesper fahey #kaz x jesper #kaz x reader #kaz x kruge #freddy carter #freddy carter x reader #kaz brekker fanfic #kaz brekker imagine #shadow and bone imagine #fluff #freddy carter fluffy #kaz brekker fluff #fanfic

[noctis-noctua]

I, Kaeya Alberich, Take Thee

Pairing: Kaeya x Fem. Reader

Count: 1976

Description: Kaeya knows that be does not deserve anything he desires. There is nothing he can do to make you his, but so badly does he wish there was.

Content: Unrequited love, angst, bittersweet ending, marriage.

Warnings: Slight spoiler for Kaeya's backstory but an addition of (non-canon!) Prince Kaeya.

In another universe, maybe I am not cursed so by the Gods. Kaeya resists the urge to nibble on the tail-end of his quill. It was unbecoming for a man of his stature to succumb to unsanitary habits. Plus, this particular pen hailed from a crow’s feather, hunted by the hands of a childhood friend. The intricate quill had not been put to use for a substantial amount of time, but it fits into Kaeya’s hand as if it came to shape its spine based on the curvature of his own grasp. He could get used to signing off documents and organizing civil affairs if it meant succumbing to such mundane sensations. The morning sun dripping onto his mahogany desks and floors, a faint scratch of keratin against ivory paper filling the empty space… It has been a long time since he’s made the decision to take over petty bureau duties. Today is a special day. Kaeya needs to focus on the satisfying echoes of paper and pen, on the sunlight heating his back, or he might just go insane.

    The clamor of bells tugs Kaeya from his mechanical performance. Each ring is a song of desperation, a performance begging for his attention. Come out and celebrate! Indulge in the pain. He is not a man that falls prey to anger, but he cannot help that frustrated itch in his stomach as he hears the iron reverberating. Please just be quiet, Kaeya thinks. Let me forget. The hesitant croak of his door alerts Kaeya to the presence of the Acting Grand Master. She dons an outfit unique from her usual uniform - a cream-colored dress, embroidered by floral lace, a single azure ribbon tying at the waist. So even the straight-edged Jean has taken time off today? 

    “Kaeya, you can’t make these excuses forever.” He knows from how Jean closes the door with unperturbed silence that this is not a conversation regarding hilichurl nests or Fatui diplomats. He can tell from the way Jean drops the mature title of ‘Sir’ in favor of his childhood nickname, that it is a conversation Jean feels must be approached with gentleness as if Kaeya is a stray cat that claws at feeding hands. The Grand Master releases a heaved exhale because both of them dread this discussion as much as the other. There is an inherent wrong in seeing Kaeya distressed. He may not be shedding tears in solitude or resigning himself to the dormitories, but he is hiding, and that is enough for Jean to observe that he is not functioning as normal.

    “Please, come for a little while. I know it’s not… something you want to see, but he’s your brother. Offer a small congratulations at the least.” Her heels tap on the polished hardwood.

    “I was planning on coming by later this evening.  Tell them I’m sorry for not being able to attend the main event. How could I? Just look at all this paperwork.” Kaeya’s signature chuckle follows, putting up a front of careless flirtation. It is not uncommon for Jean to rope the Cavalry Captain into his desk chair. Lord knows he’d never do it otherwise… yet now he claims servitude to the dulling labor. How ironic. 

    “I’ll tell them of your apologies… but both of us know that paperwork isn’t the reason you can’t make it.” Jean turns around, blonde hair trailing in the breeze left behind before Kaeya can quip up a rebuttal. She’s right. Jean is always right. The papers piling on his desk are from the drawers of his subordinates, filed away to be completed in another five months' time. There is no reason they had to be done today. He is hiding. He is a coward and a pathetic one at that. The thought alone provokes Kaeya to tug on his studded gloves and push out his chair. His sights are set on leaving because to be seen as a frail child is to fail at the sole thing he succeeds at. Being the chivalrous Cavalry Captain renowned for his beauty and failsafe charm is the one thing he cannot lose because he cannot let Mondstadt see how fragile he is behind the visage. 

    Mondstadt’s avenues are bustling. Oak tables identical to the ones across local taverns have been dressed in linen tablecloths and topped with miniature feasts. Children run between tables, tugging at each other’s shirts in a feisty game of tag as festive music tempts the adults to a dance. The tell-tale strums of Mondstadt’s No. 1 Bard’s lyre lead the crowds to the statue of Barbatos. Behind it, trails of petals line the paths leading to the limestone Cathedral. Couples, singles, and families alike make haste to enter through the carved doors. No one wants to miss this. Kaeya tugs on the collar of his fur coat, gazing at the entry before him. He can hear the music of an organ, romantic and rich, ricocheting from inside. 

    He steps into the Cathedral. The ceremony has yet to start and the pews continue to fill. Citizens scoot as close as possible to allow for more onlookers to take a seat. He finds a spot next to Huffman and a few other Knights, squished on the outer edge. It is three benches from the front. Too close for Kaeya to be comfortable. The croaking benches have long since met their capacity by now. Not a soul is missing, Kaeya reckons. Diluc Ragnvindr, the wine Tycoon, Mondstadt’s famous magnate, is marrying after all. It is no small occasion. Diluc’s brazen hair is a torch amidst fog, its perk hue garnering the eyes of all in the Cathedral. He is dressed in a suave black suit. It boasts minuscule gold embellishments followed by a hefty crimson cape draped on his shoulders. Even dressed in the furs and fabrics of royalty, one could sense a distinct awkwardness from him. If you’re going to marry her, at least look confident, brother. 

    It hurts. He cannot lie to himself - not that Kaeya was trying to in the first place. There is a pain associated with seeing the woman he loves marrying the brother that no longer desires to even speak to him. Now, Kaeya regrets standing up from his busy work. These thoughts won’t stop their festering, and it punches a hole through his stomach. Kaeya is all-too-aware that tonight, you will climb into Diluc’s sheets. He’d treat you kindly, of course. He grew up with Diluc and has seen his rigorous nobility tutors shape him into the gentleman he is today. There is no doubt that you will live a lavish life of luxury. A life Kaeya could never afford to give you. 

    In Khaenri’ah, Kaeya’s title of ‘Prince’ holds as much merit as it does in Teyvat. His people are dead or suffering. His city has crumbled into dust and shards of a forgotten legacy. Kaeya himself serves one purpose, and that is to bring glory back to the Eclipse Dynasty. It is in these times that Kaeya regrets being born royalty to a lost nation. In the solace of his chambers, Kaeya would stare at the painted ceiling and ponder. If I were born someone else entirely, would you give me a chance? But who is he kidding? Kaeya knows he’s handsome. It’s stupid and unreasonable to be so self-deprecating. He isn’t the one marrying you because he wasn’t Diluc Ragnvindr. He wasn’t from a line of Mondstadtian heroes; he was from the ashes of sinners and embers of civilization. He was Kaeya Alberich, Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius, caught between familial loyalty and a stinging betrayal. Of course he wasn’t marrying you. 

    The Cathedral doors groan as the nuns heave them open. Light floods in and frames the feminine body of the lady of Mondstadt. In your hands, a bouquet of calla lilies. On your body, a silken robe of pearls and diamonds. It flows at your back, fluttering in the blessed gales of Barbatos’. Kaeya swore that as a Khaenri’ahn, he would never see the Gates of Celestia. But this… this, he thinks, might be the closest glimpse he gets. No one dares to speak. She is beautiful. She has always been beautiful. Time slows as Kaeya lets himself take in the sight of you pledging your livelihood to his brother, and his brother’s livelihood to you. 

     Then, as if he is an innocent child once again, Kaeya closes his eyes as you two kiss. Clapping and cheers fill the atmosphere. 

    “To the Ragnvindr’s! Oley!”

    “Say, Kaeya, do you ever wanna get married?” The girl questions from Kaeya’s backside. 

    “Maybe. Then I can show off in front of my lovely wife! That would be cool, wouldn’t it, Diluc?” Kaeya jests, elbowing his step-brother’s chest. Diluc rolls his eyes, ever the prodigy. 

    “We’re still young. There’s no use thinking about such things. Shouldn’t you focus on training?” He grumbles. Kaeya knows that he will never have a lucky wife. He will never have a healthy family, or a thriving home, or a genuine relationship. Those are nothing more than dreams to Kaeya.

    The girl grabs Kaeya’s arm and begins running into the fields of grapes and firs. There is a childlike giggle dispersing for all in the neighborhood to hear, fading out as they lose sight of the manor. Reaching the edge of the cliffside, they halt. It overlooks a sapphire river below, fit for one of Master Crepus’ paintings. Diluc had been abandoned long ago. 

    “Hey, Kaeya, the water kind of looks like your hair.” The girl remarks, nuzzling closer to him. He feels his heart thrashing in its cage, begging him not to react, begging him not to ruin the fate of his country. To the girl, he smells of linen, lampgrass, and sweat, much as a kid his age should. Silence settles onto their shoulders, both of them catching breaths that had been stolen in the wind. “I didn’t ask before because I thought Diluc would get mad, but… Kaeya, how about we get married when we grow up?” How silly, Kaeya thinks. I couldn’t marry you if I wanted to. 

    “Hmm, okay. So you’ll be my lucky wife then?” Kaeya plummets down onto the grass and grins. It tickles the back of his neck and stains his blouse a verdant green. He dreams of dreaming, because that is all Khaenri’ahns like him can do. He dreams of coming home to your embrace or trudging back from battle hand-in-hand. Either one is okay. Anything with you is okay. 

    “Of course, stupid. That’s what marriage is. So you’ll be my lucky husband!” Lucky husband. It fills his heart with an immature pride too chaste for a traitor of his caliber. 

    “Deal!” 

    “Deal.” 

    They are naive children making impossible promises, but a part of Kaeya has never unlatched from those delicate whispers. Khaenri’ahns dream of dreaming, but just this once, Kaeya wished he could dream of you.

    “So, Sir Kaeya, are you going to marry soon? Youth is fleeting! Get a wife while you’re young.” One of the Knights suggests, sliding him a suggestive beam. Kaeya let’s himself open his eyes. He processes the blinding light from colored panes of glass spilling over him, the jovial expressions of the citizens he has sworn to protect, and you grasping onto Diluc’s arm, a longing of adoration phasing across your features. Happy. You are happy. He turns towards the knight, cracking a smile.

    “Don’t be silly - I’m already married, Huffman.” He lets the novice soldier ogle at him for a few seconds. “I’m joking. Lighten up.” Huffman releases a hearty chortle, commenting on his Captain’s sense of humor and putting a hand to his chest. He laughs along, but Kaeya knows there is no joke. 

Don’t be silly. I’m already married. It was a deal, after all.

#kaeya x you #kaeya x reader #genshin kaeya #kaeya alberich #genshin impact x reader #genshin #noctis-noctua

[whatdoesshedotothem]

Wednesday 26 March 1840

5 10/..

11 50/..

off from here Tuidutskaia, at 6 – dull morning and dampish – rain in the night for mud and water and sand great part of the way but not very bad – at Kumskaia (Pays du Caucase) at 8 10/.. – lone house with 2 or three calmuck tents at a little distance but house different from the rest – a front at which we entered 2 windows on each side the door – and one room next the door and right on entering about 5 ½ yards along the front (2 windows) and 3 yards wide – not so warm as last night – tho’ a little bit, we were better there than here – wrote the above while the samovar boiled – expected to find a man here to mend the wheel of the servants’ kibitka – no! we must go on as we are – not a man to be found who can do such a small job – what would become of us if we broke down? – breakfast at 9 and off at 10 10/.. – at 1 20/.. (left) ½ dozen Calmuck tents – Read Russian grammar and Schnitzler vol. 1

and asleep till Tarakanoï station at 1 50/.. – had sketched below like the last covered over with a whitened under plaster – the Calmuck huts at a considerable distance – close upon the lake, and not in sight from the station – one poor sort of tent-hut near the house – some rails set on the ground and tied together in a point at the top partly covered with reeds and partly with bits of felt – the remains of a reed fire in the middle and a large iron pan at the door-way. –

Station house at Tarakanoï

off from here at 2 20/.. – cold wind but not quite so high or quite so cold as yesterday – Reading Schnitzler again i. at 4 20/.. large inlet of water little distant (left) – at 4 40/.. Kalpitchoï station house like the one sketched – From Astracan [Astrakhan] to Tuidutskaia inclusive where we slept last night the station houses like the one sketched p. 107. – on entering the Pays du Caucase,  from Kumskaīa inclusive the station houses like the one above, as is the one where we sleep tonight – 2 or 3 Calmuck tents at some distance from Kalpitchoï – off from there at 4 58/.. and on leaving here observe black crows – 1st time for ages – none but Roystan crows grey-backed, seen at Moscow and all along from there here – at 6 a couple of tents just seen in the distance, and perhaps 2 or 3 more but too distant to be certain about them – they look like little hillocks mere dark points in the extreme distance (left) – cross several bits of waters today – fine day but no sun – all steppe but except our 1st stage this morning generally covered with a sort of grass sward on the low white prickly thing not much quite bare sand – at Tarkinskaia (house like the above) for the night at 7 50/.. all out of the kibitka and ourselves settled in 20 minutes – very comfortable little room (quite to ourselves) – about 6 yards x 3 yards – but for the 1st time no charcoal and no braise - .:. our own Semovar useless – nothing here but reeds to burn – no Semovar Madame Ocouloff told us we should have charcoal with us in case of need – but I forgot it – well we have our spirit lamp .:. we have had tea very comfortable – no cream here – not much water – nothing but the room – the broad bench 2 tables and what a luxury 4 decent strawbotted chairs! only one chair of late – rarely chairs – tis now 10 55/.. just as I have written so far – R13° on my table at 11 ¾ p.m.

[shrine-fr]

Doppelgangers | FR LORE!

An ice clan spots a wounded hatchling wandering the flats, but something isn’t quite right.

Two large towers crown the sides of a gigantic vault. It stood like an angry frown. The sharp spikes lining the vaults circumference sitting as the teeth, and the priceless blue gemstone in the center sitting as the challenge.

The Ceaseless End was a clan that has lasted forever. It sprawled deep into the center of the Southern Icefields, stretching out comfortably. This clan, much like any other Ice Clan, hoarded only the most dangerous artefacts. Trinkets of instant death, bones of egg eaters, shade touched eggs- items that dragons never knew existed lived in her belly. 

But for their commander, chief, and matriarch- this prison was paradise.

Iron overlooked the frozen wasteland from the top of the right tower. From here she could see everything. 

Not that there was anything to see. The land had fallen into a time of peace. With the revival of her kind- the Gaolers -the denizens of the ice lands had been flourishing. 

Of course, there had been rumours. 

Strange dragons with unknown intentions, hiding their eyes and travelling in shadows. Multiple clans had fallen. She would originally guess it was some shade cultist trying to steal their secrets, but among those fallen clans were some strange outliers. Clans that had nothing to do with the shade.

What was the point? 

“Ma’am!” came a frenzied shout,

She looked to the Tundra on her right, fluffed up and beating his wings. 

“There's a whelp out there!” He crowed!

She had not even taken her eyes off of the flats for a second, but when she looked back- he was right! A whelp! 

She snatched the telescope from the dragon next to her. No matter how she tried she could not clearly see the dragon. The general shape of them was that of a whelp, but the edges were blurry...

Could it be my age?

No, that was ridiculous. Iron banished the thought. She was still on the middle aged side of 347 years old.

“Should we open the gate, madam?” He pressed

“I don’t see why we should. If a whelp is well enough to walk out here, then surely they’re well enough to walk back to their clan.” She sniffed curtly.

“But maam, the whelp is covered in blood!” Crowley balked at her,

“What?” She adjusted her telescope and looked back at the whelp, and sure enough- the young thing was caked in blood.

It wasn’t like that before! Was it?

“Open the vault.” She snarled, pinning back her ears.

The entrance floor was flooded with bodies by the time she arrived. The nurses and caretakers huddled around. Crowley can’t keep his mouth shut to save his life.

The vault, being as ancient as it is, takes a long time to open. Its teeth flex outwards and the gem in the center is lifted upwards by a disc. Its movement frazzles Iron, to complicated for her to understand.

The whelp enters, limping and whimpering. A gangly child between their hatchling and adult years. They look to be in rough shape, and more empathetic dragons crowd around them.

“Please help me! It was the beastclans, the beastclans came and they- they killed my clan! Please help me, please!”

The voice was unstable, high and warbling. Shifting with each syllable. No other dragon caught on, but Iron was stalking through the crowd, parting them and shouldering them with her wings.

“Hush babbon, we will not hurt you.” Came a hushed promise from a nurse, before Iron shouldered her back and stood in front of the whelp.

His eyes were gone.

“Iron! Allow me to treat this hatchling!” Roared the nurse,

“This is no hatchling!” Iron insisted with hate, “It’s a ruse!”

Iron swept her tail and reared up on her hind legs, fog trailing behind her body as she did before she bought it all crashing down onto the broken child,

Wh- wait no!” The thing coughed out, but it was to late,

Iron had her paw on the whelps throat, pushing on it slightly. Not hard enough to pop the things head off, although she knew she could, just enough to make it hurt. To remind the thing of it’s mortality. Around her the clan erupted into screams and protests, but none dared try to move her.

“Help! Help me please! Please help me!” The things voice got higher and higher, younger and younger as it spoke.

Iron was battle hardened but not even she was immune to its cries. Its voice tightened her heart and nested in her stomach, filling her brain with it’s protests she wondered if this was the right thing to do. What was she doing? Why is she hurting a child?

Then she saw it. The twitch of recognition in the whelps face, a quick smirk it tried to hide, a look that said got you.

Her mouth filled with hot ice, steam flowing from the corners of her mouth. She felt the weight of Crowley against her left flank as he desperately tried to stop her. 

A heavy paw SLAPPED her across her left side and sent her tumbling off of the hatchling. She regained her footing and looked around the room, hackles raised.

“Who did that?!” She spat, wiping the blood from her cheek,

The purple blood from her cheek.

The black, purple goo that was setting on her cheek. 

The clan was silent, the whelp was gone. They weren’t focused on Iron anymore, instead wide eyed gazing at the monster in its wake.

A Gaoler, scrawny and with silky, dark fur. Head hunched low and eyes in its head, glowing purple.

“You’re probably feeling pretty lucky I wasn’t a real hatchling,” He chuckled darkly, words falling off his tongue and pitting them in the center of the room. 

“I’ll have to be more convincing, next time.” He smiled, 

Iron stalked towards him, unafraid “What do you want with the dragons of the Ceaseless End?”

He was backing up towards the vault, but no one made any attempt to close it.

“That’s something for you to find out.” His giggle sounded like a death rattle, “See you soon.” 

Smoke billowed from his mouth, and Iron trudged forward, antlers low she wanted to spear him on them, but when she emerged on the other side he was gone.

#eye strain #fr lore #gaoler #no beta read we die like men #phobus

[cheri-translates]

Headcanon - When you apply face masks with him

This work, 当你们一起敷面膜, was originally written by  君兮耶君兮 on Weibo, and she has given me permission to translate it 🌸

Lucien’s portion is slightly suggestive, so I’ll leave it at the back so it’s easier to skip!

[ VICTOR ]

“Victor, come over here and apply face masks with me~” 

While facing the mirror and smoothening the mask on your face, you call Victor over once he steps out of the bathroom, towelling his hair dry.

Tossing the towel onto the chaise lounge in front of the bed, he walks over with a look of distaste, watching as you busily rub excess cream onto your arms. “I don’t think you’re clear-headed.”

Patting your arms, you draw a sharp intake of breath. “You really don’t want it? When you were shaving this morning, I saw your crow’s feet~ Sure you don’t want to try this mask which lightens wrinkles?”

“...” Victor touches the corners of his eyes, staring at the masks on your dressing table wordlessly.

You strike while the iron is hot. “Let’s see. We have a six year age difference, so when the splendour of your youth has faded, I’d still be as lovely as a flower. Are you sure you don’t need to maintain your complexion?”

“...help me with it.” He finally caves in, lying down on the bed obediently, closing his eyes.

Excited, you rip open the packaging, carefully covering Victor’s well-sculpted, typically taciturn face with a mask.

Once you’re done, you lie down next to him, lifting your phone up high to take a selfie of the both of you. After a moment of hesitation, you still lack the guts to post it. You give him a poke. “Victor, I was lying to you earlier. You don’t have any wrinkles at all.”

“Dummy.” His hand encircles your waist, locking you in his arms. “I’ll cooperate with your nonsense for now. There won’t be a next time.”

[ GAVIN ]

Gavin spoils you so much that it’s as though he’d allow you to defy laws both human and divine. Whether it’s tying tiny buns on his head, applying make-up, or having to play along with a drama queen like you, he has never refused. Even if he were unwilling, a slight furrow of your brow would leave him agreeing faster than anybody else.

“Gavin, come over to apply a mask~” You beckon him over while he’s watching television on the bed.

He walks over, touching his face. “I don’t need it. It’d be a waste of your mask.”

“How is it considered a waste?!” You stand up, tugging him over to your seat. Then, you give his cheeks a poke. “The weather has been pretty dry these days. You need to keep your skin moisturised, or you’ll be disappointing this handsome face.”

“Is my face handsome?” The corners of Gavin’s lips hook into a smile, his amber eyes brightening slightly.

“Of course - you’re the most handsome man I’ve ever seen!” You cup his face in your hands in an exaggerated manner, giving him a peck on his lips.

You aren’t sure which line pleased him, but his smile becomes even more evident, his typically stern expression melting into a gentle one.

“Go on.” He points at the masks in the box on the dressing table, closing his eyes and leaving himself entirely to you.

“Good. Your gold-medal skincare expert is very happy to be at your service~”

[ KIRO ]

“Ro Ro, I don’t think this mask is as effective as the previous ones I bought.” You bring a mask, freshly removed from the packet, over to Kiro.

Hearing this, he leans his phone against the vanity mirror. The screen is still on, but you don’t put much thought into it since it just displays the table.

“Really? In that case, don’t use this one. I recently bought a few boxes of SK-II ‘ex-boyfriend’ masks. I’ll let you use them first?” Kiro retrieves new masks from the drawer of the dressing table, ripping one open for you.

Just as you reach out to take it, Kiro retracts his hand. “Miss Chips, want me to help you put it on? You could help with mine later.”

“Sure.” You sit on the make-up stool obediently, tilting your head upwards, and allowing Kiro to smoothen the icy cold mask onto your face.

“Done~ It’s Miss Chip’s turn~”

You stand up, retrieving another mask from the box, and meticulously help him apply the mask onto his face.

“Miss Chips, how does it feel?” Kiro suddenly asks.

“I guess it’s pretty cooling?” Failing to grasp the meaning of his words, you respond intuitively.

“Tch~” Kiro chuckles. “Of course the mask is cooling. The fans want to know about the effects of the mask.” He holds up the phone, giving it a few taps, entering the live space where the comments section is being flooded.

“You were doing a live broadcast?” Your eyes widen in disbelief, wanting to shift outside of the camera’s view.

“You’re not allowed to run. I promised to let the fans see a sweet day-in-the-life of me and Miss Chips. How could that happen without the female protagonist?”

[ SHAW ]

Ever since your failed attempt to make Shaw wear female clothes, you’ve tried everything possible to lure him into a trap. This included applying make-up on him over the past few days, and applying masks right now.

“Shaw, want to try a mask?” You grip the silver coloured packaging of the mask in your hand, looking at him expectantly, The meaning in your eyes is as as obvious as ever.

“Don’t want to.” He rejects you quickly.

“Really?” You refuse to give up, asking once more.

He waves his hand, as though he’s chasing away a fly. “When I say ‘no’, it means ‘no’. You didn’t hear me?”

“...” You clench your fists, feeling a slight urge to give him a beating. “If you apply this mask with me, I’ll promise you an entire week’s worth of mixed cola.” You toss out this bribe, certain that he’d be reeled in.

As expected, Shaw wavers, his eyebrows furrowing. “The mask is fine. But no photos.”

He knows you pretty well.

“I won’t.” You raise your right hand, making a vow with three fingers and a solemn expression.

“...” He frowns. “Okay.”

You celebrate internally, ripping the packaging and pasting the mask onto his face. Once you’re done, you beckon him to look into the mirror.

“Your skills aren’t bad.” Shaw peers at himself from side to side, the mask fitting perfectly on his face, without a single wrinkle.

You pat your chest with pride. “Of course, I’m adept in my skills~”

Seeing that you really didn’t take a photograph, he relaxes, sitting on the sofa and watching television.

Retrieving your phone, you tap on a button to stop the recording. Then, you take a random screenshot of the video - it happens to be one where he’s checking himself out in the mirror. You happily tag on a caption: “Am I pretty?”

Saved. And sent.

Shaw’s phone vibrates, and he picks it up. “You!!!”

[ LUCIEN ] - Slightly suggestive!

You’ve always felt that Lucien wasn’t just a genius neurologist. If he were in the business industry, he’d definitely be an excellent businessman. After all, you’ve experienced for yourself how in certain aspects, Lucien would never let himself be taken advantaged of.

Usually, Lucien would ask for a benefit from you when you seek his help for even trivial matters. Often, it’d be a request which leaves you with a flushed face and a rapid heartbeat. You never know whether to laugh or cry.

Glancing at Professor Lucien as he leans against the headboard, then returning your gaze to the final mask in the box, you’re struck with an idea. “Lucien, come here. Let me apply a mask for you~”

Lucien rests the book on his torso, lifting in head to look at you in confusion. “Apply a mask?”

“That’s right! It’d make your skin more elastic, giving it a youthful and moisturising luster, and making it look even more tempting~” You mimic the tone of voice used in television advertisements, spelling out the benefits of the mask in an exaggerated manner.

“Making it look even more tempting?” Lucien repeats what you’ve just said, supporting his chin with his hand. “If it can make my wife more interested in me, I’ll be very willing to try it.”

Hearing this, your enthusiasm heightens. “Lie down properly, and I’ll put it on for you~”

“You should let me finish. Cooperating with you comes with a condition.” Lucien places the book atop the bedside cabinet.

“What condition?”

He removes his spectacles. “Tonight, we’ll do it one more time?”

–

More translated and original works: here

-

[ Permission to translate ]

君兮耶君兮: You can - just note the author

#mlqc #cheri shortcake

[empressofmankind]

The Crow's Eye had taken Lord Hewett's bedchamber along with his bastard daughter. When he entered, the girl was sprawled naked on the bed, snoring softly. Euron stood by the window, drinking from a silver cup. He wore the sable cloak he took from Blacktyde, his red leather eye patch, and nothing else.

- AFFC, The Reaver

I was thinking of this while colouring, though spared you for now of seeing him naked. And though I recognise that with ‘sable’, no doubt GRRM means the tincture black. I am, nonetheless, going to act as if he meant sable fur.

First of all, naked men and fur are a whole mood? That I am here for? And second, sable was hugely prized in the middle ages, scarce and sought after, and I am counting on my boy to be that extra when given half the chance to take such things by the iron price.

Even though its a massively impractical fabric at sea.

Maybe because it is a massively impractical fabric at sea?

#euron greyjoy #house greyjoy #asoiaf fanart #valyrianscrolls #pirates love their fine plunder #its the law #normal people: uck naked weirdo #me: what is it euron whats on ur back you weirdly insist on not showing what is it a map to valyria is that what is tell me euron is it #imperial art farts #imperial shenanigans #a saga of bears & lions

[jaepies]

𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙣 - haikyuu!!

oikawa x fem!reader

mafia au

chapter 5 : fate

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

the air was suffocating.

like a thick blanket, it wrapped around you and was intertwining with your mouth; bubbling with putrid sensations. it trapped your airway shut preventing oxygen from entering the complex system of the lungs. you failed to breathe, your hands bound by ragged pieces of fabric that surprisingly halted every move you made.

every second ticked by, every second you grew weaker.

your eyelids felt heavy again, feeling dejected you submitted into the devil's wishes and let slumber sweep you into another fantasy. a world where the circumstances were different and life upheld its joyful status.

fate is a humorous thing, some are blessed with a fate that brings them glory and delight but every once in a while the jokester that is fate plays practical jokes on the lesser people. fate shrouded them with despair. you had accepted that you were simply one of these lesser people, like the sky; death seemed to be looming over your head at every corner you turned.

your poisoned fate was cemented; no escape could be seen so whatever was to befall your way in these fleeting moments - you would accept it with clenched teeth and slap a false smile on.

a rather powerful strike to the face is what gave you a rude awakening. your eyes springing open at the sensation of throbbing, only to view unfamiliar faces peering at you with disgust.

your eyes shot to the perpetrator of the slap, the guilty man made no effort to disguise himself as the bald man had his hand still raised in the air.

his hand had blushed with red colour as an aftereffect of waking you. silence sat on his lips; no words were needed as the frown he displayed spoke all the words for him.

"k-kageyama do you think she can hear us?"

to the left of the dingy room were two juvenile looking boys. one of which had an orange flame for hair and tentatively clung to the taller boy whom you assumed to be the aforementioned 'kageyama'. the young boy was evidently discomposed by your presence which was ironic since they were the one who captured you in the first place.

"idiot, she's awake of course she can. i thought you were dumb but i didn't realise you were this dumb."

"kageyama, you shouldn't say things like that to your friends and you aren't exactly the brightest star in the world either."

"you aren't even making sense right now? at least i'm not some crazy maniac who bounces off the walls all day, every day-"

"do you guys ever shut up? you are both as dumb as one another and that's final. you both are freaks who deserve each other."

a blonde boy with glasses interrupted the bickering pair, clearly bored at their antics as he wore a displeased scowl on his face.

"everyone please calm down, we have a guest present. we should at least be courteous and introduce ourselves."

the three students fell silent at the older man's stern voice and you did too. terror coursed through your veins causing you to freeze. one quick glance and these boys seemed harmless however if there was anything that you have learnt in the previous days is that there is always more than what meets the eye.

*cough* oikawa *cough*

the man spoke with such conviction that a small child could cry upon hearing his voice.

suddenly it clicked.

they appeared to be around the same age as you and caught you on your way to meeting up with another gang. when entering the gymnasium, it was like a ghost town. tumbleweed might as well have rolled along the slippery floor.

the aoba johsai volleyball team had been played with.

these boys were karasuno, the gang you were supposed to have had a peaceful and hassle-free transaction with.

"i guess there's no need to introduce ourselves then. you seemed to have figured it out yourself, smart girl you are."

when preparing for the transaction, a first-year called kunimi who you had gotten to know in the short space of time had written a profile on each of the members of karasuno. Iwaizumi ensured that you had it memorised like a second language.

it all came rushing back to you and these unfamiliar faces became clearer than they were a few seconds ago. the man who spoke to you held the same position as oikawa as the leader of the group, he was no other than sawamura daichi.

you were never able to grasp the ability to mask your emotions, daichi must have been able to pick up your abrupt hostility as a reaction to the epiphany.

"what do you want?"

the bitter-tone rolling naturally off your tongue, you kept your guard up.

the information on these men was limited as they were a slowly rising gang. with the various member changes, it was a frustration trying to gather knowledge on the fallen crows.

"we don't really want anything. only for the district to know that we are back."

the words were dripping in venom, you could tell that daichi enjoyed watching you squirm.

the toxicity being emitted by room was overriding your senses and it was taking everything in your will-power to maintain your composure in front of the gang.

"but why this way?"

"where's the fun in just assassinating people for power's sake? the most pleasurable way is to take an object so precious to someone that they are forced to do whatever you want. that's how you gain leverage."

bile steadily crept up in your throat, ready to make its exit if daichi were to utter one more syllable. subconsciously you had placed all your bets onto oikawa, hoping that he would storm in and rescue you.

"god that's sick and twisted. i hope karma slaps you in the face before i do. "

"oh sweetheart~"

hearing the nickname was like a punching bag to stomach. it disgusted you at how sickly sweet it sounded, at how easily he said it. behind the smirk he held was a sadistic and warped shell of a man who made you feel nauseated to the stomach.

"you have no idea who you have gotten yourself involved with. we are merely the tip of the iceberg, once you fall down this rabbit hole there is no crawling out of it. consider this experience a warning."

"i know what i have signed up for. since i have met you, i have met the worst already. there's not much more which the world could throw my way."

"you can try and fool me with your tough girl act-"

you could feel the hot breath of daichi fanning your face as he lowered his stance to your height. his sly gaze pierced right through you, creating an even more uncomfortable atmosphere. you turned your head as he spoke, not wanting your brain to endure the pain of even looking at the corrupt man.

"-but i see right through it."

droplets of spit took refuge on your hair as his words were accompanied by saliva escaping his dirty mouth.

then you realised,

you were a lesser person. fate did not want to treat you like you were royalty. instead, it thought of you as a dismal teenager whose life could easily be disposed of.

you were a damsel in distress with no prince charming coming to protect you and fight in your honour. no matter how hard you tried to fool yourself into believing that you were not alone. the reality was more genuine than the empty words which oikawa had spoken to you.

you were tired. this whole night had been incredibly taxing on your brain and regrettably, Daichi was right, you were afraid.

so afraid and fragile.

you were just going to shut your eyes and put your mind at ease. in time you would surely meet your demise...

it was as if lightning had struck the door,

an ear-splitting thud was heard from the mouldy door and a cloud of smoke had been created as a consequence of the intrusion. the silhouettes who were the cause of the disruption stood concealed by the fine, yellow dust.

maybe,

just maybe,

fate had allowed you a little more time.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

#haikyū!! #haikyuu!! #haikyuu x reader #haikyu x reader #oikawa #oikawa tooru #tooru oikawa #oikawa tooru x reader #oikawa x reader #oikawa x y/n #oikawa toru x reader #volleyball #anime #sports anime #Aoba Johsai #aoba jōsai #fanfic #haikyuu fanfiction #mafia au #writer

[dontmindmyshadowhunting]

The new Shadowhunter Academy - Fan Fic (Chapter 6 - Staying Alive)

Chapter 6 of the new Shadowhunter Academy (fan fic) is out! ;)

Kit & Ty are both at the Academy for a few days to act as guest lecturers :)

Dru is attending of course, and an unexpected guest might show up :)

AO3 link to Chapter 6 - Staying Alive

Link to entire fic up until Chapter 6 is here (fair warning - there is explicit content in Chapter 4 so skip it if you want to avoid it ;)).

****

Kit was ten minutes late. It wasn’t a big deal but given the students’ eagerness to learn from the famous Christopher Herondale, it seemed like hours of anxious babbling that he might not show up.

Dru was starting to wonder about that herself.

When the door of the training room finally opened, Kit’s cheeks were flushed, his blond curls soaking wet - as if he had just come out of the shower - and he looked… pissed. Like he wanted to be anywhere but in that room.

“What am I to teach you for the next hour?” He snapped.

“Spear?” Daniel, one of Simon’s mundane recruits, replied. He was an enthusiastic student who had been nicknamed “Harry Potter” on his first day at the Academy because of the resemblance he bore to the hero from the eponymous books (if said hero had acne problems).

“Oh, right. Spear.” Kit grumbled as he grabbed one from the table filled with multi-sized weapons and twirled it gracefully – the circle moves almost a blur – before instantly stilling it into a horizontal position in front of him. “See that pointed head? Well, you put that right through your opponent’s body. Preferably hit a vital organ.” He threw it toward the dummy placed at the far end of the room. The spear pierced straight through its chest where the heart should be. “Like that.” The students started applauding.

“That’s it. That’s the lecture.” Kit whirled and started toward the door. He stopped short before the figure of Catarina Loss barring the door. She looked furious, her blue complexion a shade deeper than usual.

“KIT HERONDALE, you go back in there and I don’t care if you look at your fingernails for the next hour, you are NOT LEAVING THIS ROOM.”

For the rest of the class, Catarina remained seated on a big granny armchair she had conjured up, in front of the door, knitting a tiny pink pullover (probably for Mina), while Kit told the students everything they needed to know about spears. As it turned out, he was an excellent teacher, and aside from technique, had several stories and anecdotes to share about these weapons, and their history through the ages. He certainly knew how to catch his audience with witty jokes and, yes, Dru had to admit, his Herondale charm and good looks.

****

He wasn’t what Henry had expected. Not by a long shot.

First, he looked nothing like his sister Drusilla, whom Henry shared most classes with. He had gray eyes - the color of iron - where hers were blue-green, and his hair was crow dark where his sister’s were a deep, warm brown. He knew that the Blackthorn siblings were born from two different mothers, but didn’t he have a twin who died during the Cold Peace, and who shared Drusilla’s traits? He had been too young to fight at the time but Henry had seen Julian Blackthorn on a big screen in Idris right before the battle of the Imperishable Fields and he definitely looked like his sister.

To be honest, when the rumour had spread that the best Centurion of his generation - and the creator of several groundbreaking inventions - had finally decided to make an appearance at the Academy, Henry had imagined a crazy inventor wearing oversized safety goggles and a dusty lab coat. Obviously not some Adonis, who looked like he belonged more on a runway than in a library or a lab.

Second, he was more than a little surprised to discover that he was shy and reserved, for a Blackthorn that was. His rigid stance and the way he kept stroking the pendant tied around his neck, to quote only a few tells, betrayed how nervous he was. The whole character was a mystery to him. If he had his reputation - hell, if he had his looks - Henry would probably be parading around like a peacock.

“I am curious. So we are going to start with a question,” the teacher said, his expression bemused and his gaze fixed above the students’ heads toward the far end corner of the room. Most of the time, Henry had noticed, it looked like he wasn’t really addressing them. “Why do you want to become Centurions?”

Several voices erupted at the same time, and he flinched, before lifting a halting hand. “Please. Speak when you are granted permission to.”

The voices subsided and several students raised their hands instead, including Henry.

“Gillian?” He asked as his gaze flickered to her. Henry realized that he never looked anyone directly in the eye.

“Because I want to study faerie lore, the real deal, not the load of crap they teach you at the Academy,” she said smugly, and most students sniggered approvingly.

The Centurion’s lips twitched but he nodded in acknowledgement.

“Henry?”

“Because we get to wear that hot uniform,” he replied, giving the Blackthorn teacher a slow once over.

There was a collective roar of laughter in the classroom. The Centurion just nodded, straight-faced, as if it was as good an answer as any. Henry realized that he was starting to like him.

“Shut up, Henry.” Her Highness Amber Cartwright said as she entered the class. She shooed a student from his seat in the front row and sat there. “I am sorry for being late, Professor Blackthorn,” she said in a sultry voice, as she crossed her long legs in an exaggerated gesture.

The teacher spared her a brief glance. Henry braced himself for the double take - everyone, boys and girls alike, did a double take upon beholding Amber for the first time - but... nothing. The Centurion’s face remained impassive. Moving on. There is definitely something off with him, Henry thought. He is either half-blind and not wearing his binoculars or one fucking hundred percent gay.

“Call me Tiberius. I believe we are all around the same age.”

Amber beamed, her usual scowling face alight. “Okay. Tiberius,” she said, her voice caressing his name.

“And you are…?”

“Amber Grace Cartwright,” she said proudly, as she brushed her fingers through her blond hair.

Tiberius moved to his desk and furrowed his brows as his gray eyes scanned the paper lying there.

“You are not on my list.”

Amber’s face fell a little. “I know, I did not initially register for these training sessions, but Talib agreed to give me his spot. You see, I changed my mind and I really really want to become a Centurion someday.” Henry wondered how she had managed to convince Talib. Only the twenty most promising students - among those interested in becoming Centurions, and Amber had never expressed such an interest - were allowed to follow the course and there was a waiting list.

The teacher just lifted a dark eyebrow. “Oh. Okay.” They all waited as he sat at his desk and started scribbling on the paper, dark curls falling over his face as he bent his head. He was nothing if not meticulous. At the start of the class, he had asked, one by one, each student’s name. Henry had the feeling he had memorized all twenty of them. “Xian?” He asked without looking up.

The girl’s eyes widened and she whipped her head right and left, wondering whether he really was addressing her. As if there was another Xian in the classroom.

“Yes, Pro- Tiberius?”

“You don’t need to pass that folded paper on to your friend Barbara, I can provide the answer to your question.”

“Oh.” She flushed a deep red, and hastily crumpled the paper that she had been clutching under the table. Henry wondered what the message had been about.

“The answer is no. I don’t provide my personal number to students, but if you want to communicate with me, you may either send a fire message or a letter to my attention at the Scholomance, depending on the urgency of the matter.”

His tone was even, his face serious, as if he hadn’t meant to humiliate the girl, but simply state a fact. A low chatter erupted in the class, students casting worried glances at each other. Henry wondered himself how the Centurion had managed to read Xian’s paper when he was seated at the desk in front of the class, a few feet from her. The only one who didn’t seem troubled by that was Amber, who turned to glare at her friend. Xian stuck her tongue out in turn. Oh, Henry thought. Let the Hunger Games begin.

****

After a short recess, the students had another hour of training with Kit.

“As you well know, Shadowhunters use Runes to heal faster when they are injured in battle. Sometimes, it’s all that you need. But other times, a wound needs to be tended before an Iratze is applied. For instance, if you have foreign bodies in your wounds, you have to take them out before using your stele. Except, of course, when it would do much more harm to retrieve them, for instance if it's an arrow. Also, and although you should carry a stele with you at all times, situations may occur when you are without them. Finally, although we have a stronger constitution and heal faster, us Shadowhunters are humans, and we suffer the same diseases as mundanes. We can faint. We can die of a heart attack. We can die of blood loss following a car crash. Therefore, it’s important - and Catarina shares my view on this - to train you in first aid.” A crooked smile lit up his gorgeous face, his blue eyes glinting mischievously. “So who wants to be my dummy?”

All students - save for Dru - raised their hands eagerly. Brianna actually elbowed the girl next to her so she would put her own hand down.

“Drusilla Blackthorn,” Kit announced, with a smirk on his face.

Dru rolled her eyes and came to stand next to him.

“I think it’s more efficient to work on the basis of real-life situations’ simulations. So, what happened to my dummy in this scenario?”

“She fainted!” A student said.

Several students giggled.

“Okay,” Kit said, then looked over expectantly at Dru.

She rolled her eyes again and mimed fainting. As she lay still on the floor, she wondered if he would consider them even after the demonstration or continue to make her pay for the trick she had pulled earlier that day.

Kit knelt next to her.

“Is she conscious or unconscious?” He asked.

“Unconscious!” Another student said.

“Dru, close your eyes,” he said. She did as requested, letting out a deep sigh. “Okay, so how do you check whether or not someone is unconscious?” He asked, and she felt his fingers brush her hand, then he pinched her. She swallowed a swear word.

“Dummy? Dummy? Can you hear me? If you can hear me, blink or move your fingers. No answer. So you can assume she’s unconscious. Next step: you have to check if she breathes.”

She felt Kit’s fingers gently cupping her chin and forehead and tilting her head backwards. He pulled her lips open. “Check the airway first. If the throat is clear…” His hair tickled her face, and the Blackthorn locket grazed her jawline, as Kit leaned over to put his ear directly above her mouth. “See what I am doing? I am checking for a breathing sound while observing the rise and fall of her chest. So, tell me, is she breathing?”

“No,” a student said. Dru recognized Brianna’s voice. You will pay for this, roomie, Dru thought.

“Okay.” Dru realized Kit’s voice trembled a bit. She opened her eyes and saw the conflict in his gaze. What was the matter? “If you are with someone else, that person must go fetch a defibrillator that’s now in every patrol car. If you are alone, you can’t leave the patient so you must call for help. Do not - and I repeat - do not leave your patient’s side to do that. You must practice CPR at once.”

Realization dawned on Dru. Oh, bugger.

“In a real-life situation,” Kit said, drawing the words out. “You should… take your patient’s shirt off or - more accurately - rip it open.” He flinched as he said the last words, but swiftly regained his composure. She had to give him credit for his professionalism. “You must give chest compressions on bare skin. In our case though…”

Dru smirked. “Didn’t think it through, did you?” She whispered to Kit. Seeing his look of dismay, witnessing him trip over himself, was surprisingly satisfying, and if there was something Dru never missed, it was an opportunity to play a prank. Especially when she had been the intended victim of the stunt. She just couldn’t resist. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, and she became reckless. Act first think later became her course of action.

“That’s fine”, she said out loud as she sat up. She pulled the top of her gear off before lying back, wearing only her bra above her gear pants.

There were a few gasps in the crowd. Kit gulped.

“First of all, make sure your patient is lying on her back on a firm, dry surface. If there is blood, move the body away from it. I understand Catarina already taught you how to deal with hemorrhage.”

A few students mumbled a confirmation.

“You should push on the chest at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute, which corresponds to the beat of several songs you can use to help you maintain the proper tempo.” He fiddled with his phone and the sound of “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees started playing.

Dru snorted. Kit was barely looking at her as he plowed on.

“Position your hands above your patient’s chest, like this. Interlock fingers. Then, give chest compressions. Like this.”

Dru tried to hide a smile. Kit’s palm was sweaty against her bare skin. He was flushing a deep red, his face a mask of embarrassment. Punk’d, she thought. Had he known he would be giving chest compressions to Dru - that he considered like a little sister - he would have thought twice about using her as a dummy.

He stopped abruptly, after thirty compressions. “Okay, we are… going to stop here for today.”

“What about the rescue breath?”

“I’ll show you next time,” he choked, as he stood and almost tripped on his feet scouting back. It seemed like he couldn’t get away from her fast enough.

“Does… anyone have any questions on CPR before we move to another exercize?”

“Yeah,” Talib raised his hand. Shit. Not him, Dru thought. What the hell was he doing here anyway, wasn’t he supposed to follow the Scholomance training course?

Kit nodded to him.

“Is that the Blackthorn locket you are wearing?”

Kit’s mouth dropped open. Dru tensed. She knew that Ty had asked that they keep their relationship a secret. Only family and very close friends were in the know. Not because Ty was ashamed, far from it. But because, as a Centurion, he was entrusted with all missions related to the First Heir, and that would change as soon as the Scholomance found out how involved Ty was with the subject of his investigations. Ty didn’t trust anyone else with these missions, so he had begged Helen and Aline not to tell the Penhallows about Kit and him, even though the identity of the First Heir remained a secret to most. One could never be too cautious.

Watching his face fall, the glint of panic in his azur eyes, Dru started to feel really bad for the Herondale boy. She knew that if he had been allowed, he would have screamed his love for Ty at the top of his lungs, from the Academy’s roof. Instead, he lowered his gaze to his feet, swallowing hard.

“Yeah, it’s mine,” Dru blurted. “Seriously, Kit? I told you not to wear it at the Academy!”

Kit whipped his head up in surprise, his blue eyes wide and questioning. He looked like he was about to say something, but Dru wouldn’t give him a chance to deny. What was done was done. She whirled around and retreated to a corner of the training room, bowing her head in order to conceal the blush that had started creeping up her face.

****

“Do you know who founded the Scholomance?” The Centurion teacher asked.

Amber was the only one who raised her hand.

“Amber?”

“It was originally founded by an alliance between the Fair Folk and prominent Shadowhunter families.”

Most of the students gasped. Everyone turned a questioning look at Tiberius, whose lips quirked. “Correct. This is not common knowledge, to say the least. How have you learnt about it?”

“I read a lot and… I may have borrowed some of my brother’s notes. Cartwrights have been filling the ranks of Centurions for generations.”

“But…” Barbara said, looking confused. “I thought the whole purpose of the Scholomance was to investigate all Downworlders, especially faeries, since they are the Nephilim who possess the most extensive knowledge about them.”

“And where do you think the Centurions got their knowledge from?” Amber snapped.

“Why would the Nephilim create a school with Downworlders?” Xian interjected.

“About that,” Tiberius intervened. “The classification of faeries as Downworlders is not entirely accurate and has been challenged over the past few years. Contrary to general belief, some of the Fair Folk species do not have any demon blood. Maybe you’d like to carry on, Miss Cartwright.”

Amber pursued, with a smug look on her face.

“As the story goes, not long after the creation of the Nephilim, the Angel warriors and the Fair Folk made an alliance to protect the Earth from demon invasion. They shared their knowledge - the fey teaching the Nephilim how to use magic in the school they created together, a sort of real life Hogwarts - and even… consorted. After all, the biggest problem that the fey have been facing in the past centuries is the thinning of their blood. Why not mix it with that of Raziel’s chosen warriors? Ultimately, a union was arranged between the Faerie King and a member of a highly respected and powerful Nephilim family. Not all fairies were happy with the union and there was a secession. The Faerie lands were split between two courts from then on. The Unseelie court, choosing to acknowledge a Nephilim queen, considering her as part of the fey royal family, ara nothlir, and the Seelie court, refusing the Angel warriors’ influence.”

She paused to watch the effect of her words on the wide-eyed students.

“The Nephilim queen was not immortal but the King used his magic to stretch out her years. Although they were happy, they had to rule in troubled times. The strong divergence in traits, opinions and customs between the Fair Folk and Shadowhunters soon drew them apart. Raziel’s warriors criticized the fey for being cunning and strongly disapproved of the tricks they played on mundanes and the creation of changelings. Faeries thought Shadowhunters to be ruthless, overbearing and contemptuous.

The Unseelie king’s death - it came as a shock, everyone thought the mortal Nephilim queen was bound to die before him - without any heir being born from their union, was a fatal blow to the alliance. Unseelie laws were clear, the queen dowager no longer held any claim to the throne - the full fey blooded prince Arawn succeeded to his father - and she hid in Faerie under the protection of a few Nephilim who swore to protect her. They could easily be distinguished from the red caps as they wore black cloaks identifying them as Angel warriors. They were not sanctioned by the Clave though, which preferred to sever all ties to the Fair Folk. With the magic they had learnt from the fey, these protectors created an enchanted wall of thorns surrounding the tower where the Shadowhunter queen and her family lay low for hundreds of years.

When an heir was born from the union of the Seelie Queen and Unseelie King, most Nephilim took it as the last stroke of the Fair Folk’s betrayal. It didn’t help that there were whispers about a prophecy stating that the world would fall to shadow under the First Heir’s ruling. So began the witch hunt, the primary target being the cursed descendant. That’s how Centurions began to use the knowledge they had collected from their former allies at the Scholomance against them.

The chase officially ceased when the disappearance of the First Heir was officially announced by the Unseelie Court and the tensions between the Nephilim and the fey eased until they finally made peace with the signing of the First Accords in 1872. The Scholomance was closed then, as a show of good faith that Downworlders and Shadowhunters were no longer at war.”

“What has become of the Nephilim queen’s family?” Henry blurted.

Amber turned to look at him. She was positively gloating.

“They had nothing to be blamed for, so the Clave as well as the Fair Folk let them be after the signing of the First Accords. After all, they were a very influential family to begin with. So, they are still among us.”

“Who are they?”

“Before King Arawn changed the Unseelie Court’s sigil, the symbol was that of a full crown…adorned with a rose, symbol of his father’s attachment to the Lady of Roses,” she said mysteriously.

“The Nephilim queen’s descendants are known as the Rosales,” Tiberius specified evenly.

A low chatter erupted and the words “Inquisitor”, “Diego” and “Cristina” were thrown around repeatedly. They all knew the Council kept a lot of secrets, but the fact that the current Inquisitor belonged to a family that had forged an alliance with the fey in the past, confirmed how little they really knew about Shadowhunter politics.

“And what about their protectors?” A voice suddenly raised from a corner of the classroom.

Amber turned to look at the Centurion who nodded imperceptibly.

“Easy,” she said. “They were released from their oath a long time ago but they have kept their Shadowhunter names. Some say the earlier generations had sharp, elven features due to their closeness to - and interbreeding with - the Fair Folk. They were black cloaked warriors guarding the queen’s family like thorns protecting the delicate rose from its predators. They called themselves the Black Thorns.”

As the students suddenly burst into commotion, Henry’s gaze focused on Tiberius, who stood straight like an arrow, his expression unfathomable. He had a feeling there was more to the story but, whatever it was, Henry knew he would have to swear the Centurion vows before being allowed to hear it.

****

Being a Shadowhunter had major downsides. No matter how hard you tried to shut yourself from your environment, your highly trained senses betrayed you by fulfilling their role like obedient little soldiers.

Dru had never better understood Ty’s need for headphones as she weaved a path in the main hall towards the exit - she wanted to crawl in her bed and hide there until at least the next morning - and tried to ignore the glares and angry whispers that followed her.

“Seriously? Christopher Herondale and Drusilla Blackthorn? It’s like some stupid chick flick where the hot jock hooks up with the weird geek.”

“He’s probably with her because she’s easy. Did you see her take her shirt off in the training room like it was no big deal?”

“Oh, come on, every girl does that here. We’re warriors, we undress to draw Runes on each other all the time. And how is it different from when we train in sports bras when it’s summer?” Well, Dru was relieved to hear at least some girls had her back...

“It’s different when you have a pair of breasts like hers.”

“Right. Tell me about it. Best boobs at the Academy.”

“Yeah, I would definitely hit that.”

“You’re kidding? That girl’s creepy, I would be afraid to be strangled in my sleep.”

“What does he see in her anyway? She has a pretty face, but she dresses like a Goth freak. And don’t get me started on the size of her thighs...”

Dru never allowed anyone to say a single bad thing about her family and friends. But where her own securities were concerned, she was like an open wound anyone could poke. Dru bit back tears as she hurried her footsteps. She needed air. Fresh air.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and whipped her head around. It was Brianna.

“Seriously, Dru? Why didn’t you just tell me before I made a fool of myself?”

“Brianna. I just gave him a necklace. I am not dating him or anything. He’s just a member of Livia’s Watch, that's all. Hence the locket.” Why had she not thought of that excuse earlier?

Brianna lifted her eyebrow dubiously. Dru felt her temper rising.

“Fine.” She snapped. “Believe me or not, I don't CARE.”

NNNNEEEEW YOOOORK. They both startled as the voice of Alicia Keys suddenly blazed through the main hall’s stone walls.

As one, all the students rushed outside to see where the noise came from. Brianna and Dru exchanged puzzled glances before following them wearily out of the wide double front doors.

Dru blinked and, when her eyes finally adjusted to the sunlight, tried to hide her shock as she took in the incongruous sight.

In the Academy’s front yard, a crowd had already started to gather in a circle around the main attraction, giving it a wide berth.

A splendid charcoal grey convertible car was parked at the center of it, as if it had appeared there by magic. "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys was playing full on from the vehicle’s sound system.

Leaning casually against the hood of the car with his arms crossed was the tall figure of Ash Morgenstern. His platinum blond hair was peeking out of a green beanie and he wore an elegant gray cashmere coat that made him look like a British gentleman.

In the back of her mind, several questions buzzed like little alarms. Was he not supposed to be under house arrest? What the hell was he thinking showing up in front of the Academy ? Where did he get the car anyway?

But foremost in her mind was Ash. It’s Ash. It’s really Ash. How gorgeous he was - even more so than she remembered - and how she had never felt more relieved to see anyone in her whole life. She had missed him, she realized with surprise.

Ash straightened up and gave Dru a crooked smile as soon as he caught sight of her.

She couldn’t help it, she ran to him and threw her arms around his slender neck, burying her face in his chest. He smelled of aftershave, a sophisticated fragrance of amber, sandalwood, mandarin and jasmine. Ash stiffened at first, obviously startled by her sudden display of affection, then relaxed and squeezed her tighter.

“If I had known I would receive such a warm welcome, I would have broken out of jail sooner,” he whispered in her ear.

She drew back and shook her head disapprovingly, though a grin was still plastered on her face.

“What on earth are you doing here, Ash?”

“I have come to rescue my Queen.”

“Rescue me? From what?”

“Food poisoning, of course. You told me it was awful here. I was in the neighborhood and it just so happens that I know a perfect French restaurant in Manhattan.”

“And so you decided to break out of your confinement and show up at the Academy in a flashy sports car?”

He shrugged. “I thought it would be a more inconspicuous way of traveling.”

“Inconspicuous? Really? As compared to what?”

He raised a silvery eyebrow. “Flapping my dark wings?”

“Where are you going with my sister?” Ty demanded with a frown as he marched towards them, his voice louder than usual, probably due to the headphones covering his ears.

“Manhattan. For dinner.”

“It’s not safe,” he said, then glanced at the vehicle. “Is that an Aston Martin DB9 GT Volante?”

“What’s not safe?” Ash asked. “My company? The car? The whole idea of a crazy night out?”

“All of the above,” Ty answered, his gray eyes like saucers, still fixed on the car.

“Oh, so now you care about where I go and who I am with?” Dru intervened.

Ty’s gaze snapped back to her, and his eyes crinkled in confusion.

“Of course I do. Why do you ask? Wait- Are you… angry with me?”

“Of course I am! I had to find out you were at the Academy by eavesdropping on fellow students!” She was grateful the music was loud and the observers far enough that they could not overhear their conversation.

Ty’s eyes widened and his jaw went slack. “But... But I wasn’t sure I was coming until this morning. I didn’t want to tell you before I was certain. I thought you would be happy to see me.”

“Yes, Ty, I am happy to see you. But I started at the Academy months ago, and you have only decided to show up today! We both know who convinced you, and it certainly wasn’t me.”

The look of hurt on Ty’s face almost made her regret her words. As if on cue, Kit suddenly appeared, coming from the opposite direction to where Ty was standing. Dru realized with a pang that they were purposefully avoiding being seen together and maintaining a safe distance between them.

“Hey guys, I think I missed the invitation to the party,” Kit said playfully, but Dru knew him and could sense that his heart wasn’t in it. He was just trying to ease the tension.

“You didn’t miss anything,” Dru replied sharply. “Ash and I were leaving.” Ty opened his mouth to object but she cut him. “And you, Ty, do not get to tell me what to do.”

“Where your safety is concerned, I do,” Ty snapped back, red starting to creep up his white neck. His hands were now fluttering at his sides.

“If you’re worried about her safety, Ty, why don’t you come with us?” Ash offered in peace. “You too, Kit. Raziel knows we all need to… let off steam.” He looked like he was holding in a laugh and Dru wondered whether she was missing a private joke.

Ty’s gaze flickered to Kit then, and their eyes met for a brief second before they both hastily looked away. They were clearly blushing now, Ty nervously stroking his heron pendant and Kit thrusting his hands in his pockets and staring at his feet.

“I can’t,” Kit said, kicking a pebble. “I have to stay here where I am protected. Catarina and my parents will kill me if they know I left the Academy’s grounds.”

Ash raised an eyebrow. “Tell me, Kit. Who would you rather have as bodyguards? Me and the badass Blackthorn siblings?” He said, gesturing at their little group. “Oooor… these frightened little squirrels posing as Academy students?” He pointed toward the crowd of students who were still gaping at him. And the car. But mostly at Ash.

“I guess you have a point,” Kit conceded.

“Okay,” Ty answered hesitantly, looking away.

“Then jump in, Angel warriors,” Ash said as he opened the door for Dru. She ignored it, and instead, grabbed the edge of the back door to jump inside and landed on the front passenger seat. “What? I have always wanted to do that!” She told him when he lifted his eyebrow at her. Ash laughed and shook his head as he rounded the car to take the driver’s seat. Kit and Ty crammed in the back - the space had definitely not been designed to hold two full-grown Shadowhunters - and immediately stared out the car, pointedly avoiding looking at each other.

Ash put the Aston Martin in gear, as the students parted to let them through. The engine's roar was deafening, almost drowning the sound of the music still blasting from the sound system. Dru felt exhilarated, gusts of wind carrying away all her resentment and worries as they blew her hair. Everything was perfect… save perhaps for one thing.

“Ash,” she called over the noise. “Can you turn the music down?”

He threw her a puzzled look, his hands tightening on the wheel.

“Why? I thought you’d like it. We are in New York after all.”

“It’s not my hometown,” she observed, winking at him.

He grinned as he fiddled with the dashboard and suddenly 2 PAC's "California Love" was booming full volume.

“Better?” He asked.

Her answering smile was so wide it almost hurt her cheeks.

“Not just better. Perfect.”

#kit herondale #kit herongraystairs #kit herondale and ty blackthorn #kit x ty #tiberius blackthorn #ty blackthorn #drusilla blackthorn #dru blackthorn #ash morgenstern #dru and ash #du x ash #the wicked powers #the dark artifices #tda fanfiction #tsc fan fiction #cassandraclare #cassandra clare fan fiction #the shadowhunters chronicles #the shadowhunters chronicles icons