#yes i am aware that this doesn't match with the timeline but i just wanted to make this au ok | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

baldursgate3tempobsessed · 6 months

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K follow me Astarion just sees tav like loving on children wherever they go and hes like?????

And tavs like ive always wanted my own child but i didn't wabt to ask you with every

This sends poor starion into a crisis does he was children how many

I think I have followed you. Let's see!

So for this one we got a lil time jump, ambiguous and vague setting and timelines with game spoilers present. M/F pairing because that is my go to and pregnancy is mentioned. Vampiric pregnancy also so there is some weirdness there (i made it up no idea if it's dnd accurate). Vague Tav backstory of a wonderful mother and going off to become a cleric.

Astarion was well used to your antics by this point. You had a severe lack of instincts linked to self-preservation, which led to a consistent pattern of doing, frankly, stupid shit. Stupid, but kind. Nothing that Astarion hadn't adapted to, after nearly two years of being attached at the hip you became pretty attuned to your lover's personality.

He could even go as far as to say that he had grown to love your annoying predilection for pious morality. Perhaps he loved talking you out of certain virtuous dangers more, but still. He appreciated who you were, he adored who you were. But Astarion was no saint, despite his insistence on attaching himself to one.

Which is exactly why he was far from amused when you signed him up to babysit a couple of brats. All for acquittances he barely cared about.

But you at least had the good grace to look guilty, "I didn't mean to! But she looked so tired and she said their anniversary was coming up and it's not like we got anything for their wedding-"

That was a nice try, one that Astarion wasn't falling for, "We didn't know of their existence when they got married darling. Just because I can't remember their names doesn't mean you can trick me."

"I'm not trying to trick you!" You whined, arms crossed as you pouted. It sure felt like a trick, especially when Astarion knew that you were well-aware how easily he fell for your sulking. Adorable little monster that you were, "It's only three kids and a baby for one night, it won't be that bad! You don't even have to help-"

Astarion rolled his eyes as he sat next to you on the bed, "I didn't say I wouldn't help."

That seemed to do the trick to get the pout off of your face. You perked up immediately, looking at him like you couldn't quite believe it, "Really?"

"Yes, really," Astarion sighed as you tugged you closer. Sure he liked to bitch, but he really would do anything for you. Even extremely annoying things like this, "I'm not going to sit back and feed you to the wolves."

"They're not wolves! The oldest is barely five," You laughed as you let him manhandle you, settling you into his lap, "And I am sorry, I really wasn't thinking. I promise it won't happen again."

Astarion doubted that, not when he was well-versed of your weak spot for children. No matter where you went you couldn't help but fawn over them, not to mention the insane lengths you would go to keep any child safe. It was a complete and utter blind spot, your kindness extending to them all, even the little scam artists and hellions.

It was sweet, if not extremely worrying at first. Astarion had been terrified of you finding out his past. The things that he had been forced to do, the innocents whose lives he had destroyed. But not only did you find out, you were forced to see it. Both of you were, and it had been worse than anything Astarion could have imagined. He had always found a slight comfort knowing that those he captured would at least die quickly, that at the very least they wouldn't suffer the same agonizing fate as he, just an agonizing death. But no, even that small comfort had been a lie. The horror of finding them all down there has yet to be matched. He had never felt more self-loathing, more pure disgust than the moment he had found those children, tortured and pale, all because of him.

How you didn't see him for the wretched thing he was after all that, Astarion wasn't sure. But he was grateful. You were too good for him. A fact that he was devastatingly aware of, but that wasn't going to stop him from keeping you.

He still thinks about it on occasion, despite the fact that he had done all he could to right his wrongs. They all at least had a chance now to have a life worth living, Astarion could only hope that it would be used. Their future was out of his hands now, a small comfort.

But despite his complicated feelings towards children, he was more than capable of handling them for one evening. And in all honesty, he truly didn't have to do much. He was on self-mandated baby duty, because of course you had to help out the infant that would scream bloody murder unless it was being held. Keeping her tucked against him was a move of self-preservation, if he ever wanted to retain his hearing.

Most of the night was spent amused as he watched you entertain a gaggle of toddlers. You were so... creative with the ways you could defuse their antics. It came to you so naturally, nearly like you were a born mother yourself. It wasn't exactly surprising that you were fantastic with children, he had seen it time and time again. Arabella, Mol, Yenna, all of which still wrote you letters, visited occasionally. Staying forever attached, even from a distance.

Now that Astarion thought about it, it was odd that you weren't a mother. Odder still that you hadn't never even brought up the possibility of having children together. You were usually so open with your wants and always encouraging the same from him. Just one more thing he loved about you. But... why hadn't it been mentioned? Astarion had always assumed it was because you didn't truly want any of your own, that you enjoyed their fun innocence while avoiding the more laborious responsibility of raising them.

Though watching you take care of them all, changing diapers and negotiating silly arguments with a soft smile of your face had him rethinking his assumption.

"You're good with them," Astarion said eventually after you had successfully set the older three down for the night, the baby still stubbornly clinging to him, "I don't think there's a child we've met that doesn't adore you."

You laughed quietly, walking over to kiss him softly on the cheek. Your eyes wandered to the sleeping infant in his arms, still holding a piece of his shirt in it's little fist, "You don't seem to be too bad with them either."

"Newborns don't know any better," Astarion dismissed as he tried to put her down in their borrowed crib. Tried and failed, considering how the thing immediately started to whine the second he attempted to pry it's little hand away.

Oh for fuck's sake. Astarion wasn't even going to try and argue. Instead he unbuttoned his shirt and let it fall into the crib with her, seemingly doing the trick of stopping her from waking completely.

When he turned back you were staring at him with soft eyes, looking lovestruck at the simple act of him laying a child down, "Looks like she has pretty good taste to me."

"I don't think your judgment should be trusted," Astarion huffed as he walked over to you, grabbing your hand to drag you to the bedroom. He glanced back at you, his heart nearly skipping a beat from the sweet way you kept looking at him. It had his mind wandering again, those questions still nagging him.

Questions that he didn't have the courage to ask until dead of night, when he had you half asleep against his bare chest, "Have you ever thought of having children?"

He hadn't meant to blurt that out in the middle of the night, but Astarion apparently had a knack for starting important conversations at inconvenient times. Not that you minded.

You just cuddled into him closer, nodding against him with a sigh, "I've always wanted my own children. My own mother, Gods bless her soul, made it all sound so magical. Pregnancy, the early years, puberty, all of it. She loved it all. And I guess it rubbed off on me. It used to be all I could think about, before real life got in the way."

Astarion listened, a little annoyed at himself for not putting the pieces together sooner. You had talked so lovingly about your late parents, how you always wanted to be like your mother. Of course you would want children. How had he not connected the dots?

"But then I went off to the temple," You continued, "I completed my training, went off into the world to do good, blah, blah, blah. You know the story."

"So you grew out of the idea?" Astarion asked.

"Not exactly," You admitted, sounding a little guilty, "But I would never ask that of you love, it's not something you have to worry about."

That-what?

Astarion stared down at you, brow furrowed, "What do you mean?"

"I mean I know that the topic of children is... difficult for you. Considering everything you've been through-"

"I think you mean to say everything I've inflicted on others," Astarion interrupted, unwilling to allow himself grace. Especially when it came to the children of the Gur, "It was much worse for them than me."

You nodded, knowing better than to try and fight him on that particular topic, "I understand, but my point is that I can live without them. You're all I need."

It was comforting to hear, an immediate balm to a brand new set of insecurities that Astarion hadn't been prepared for. But even so... he hated the idea of you sacrificing even more for him. It felt wrong, "But-"

"But nothing," You interrupted softly, setting a quick kiss to his mouth, I'm serious Astarion, you don't need to worry. I'm happy, I love you, and everything is fine."

"I love you too," Astarion murmured, at a loss to say anything else. But the conversation didn't end there.

Astarion couldn't stop thinking about it, even long after the temporary children were sent back home. ou seemed so... sure that he didn't want children, and a week ago he probably would have agreed. But that was back before he knew that he was actively keeping you away from something you wanted. Something you had dreamed about since you were a child. And it felt wrong to be the reason for that, so, so wrong.

He didn't even know if his true feelings on the matter were real. He didn't want children for many of the same reasons he never wanted a partner. The attachment to another was dangerous, he was beyond unequipped to deal with others, let alone care for them, and the entire ideology behind love was ripe for manipulation and heart break. But then he met you and everything changed. Suddenly, caring for another didn't feel like a weakness, it felt like the strongest aspect of his entire self. Taking care of you wasn't an unwanted duty, it was intimacy. Something that he now craved. If all of those steadfast ideals could fall apart simply through meeting you, whose to say he could even trust himself when it came the thoughts around having a child?

Would having one truly be so bad? A little piece of the two of you, alive in the world? And perhaps children were annoying but... Astarion would be lying if he said he didn't have a soft spot for them. He had kept his distance before, but now he was fully confident that he wasn't a danger, no with Cazador burned to nothing bus ash and his own bloodlust well controlled. And it's not as if he was incapable of being a father, worse men than him did it everyday.

It was a confusing place to be, this tightwire of indecisiveness. Confusing enough for him to start a bit of research. He was vaguely aware that it was possible for his kind to breed, but finding out the details was disheartening, to say the least. First he had to parse out the different horror stories of babes eating their way out of their mother's wombs with actual facts, which wasn't exactly pleasant. But the truth was that it was more than possible for the two of you to have child together. It had the potential to either be as noneventful as any pregnancy, with the cavate that the babe coming out looking slightly... dead wouldn't be a permanent state of being. Or it could be as risky as carrying a child could be, with pains and complications galore, even legitimate worries of internal bleeding from the wretched thing prematurely growing claws. Not to mention the occasional, intense blood lust that could occur, an experience that Astarion would prefer you didn't have to go to.

Looking into the reality of the choice didn't help as much as he had assumed it would. If anything it just made the whole situation more real. Even if he wasn't a vampiric spawn, childbirth was risky. Maybe not as risky for you considering how Astarion would move the heavens and hells to get you the best care possible, but still. The thought of you passing, leaving him alone with the child you wanted and would never see, would destroy him. Completely and utterly.

But then again... there was the magical alternative of everything working out just fine. The two of you were both beyond lucky in that regard, considering how you'd overcome mind flayer parasites and fought and won against a near god. It was more than possible that everything would be fine, that you would have a beautiful pregnancy that would end in an even more amazing child. Then two would become three, a family of his very own.

That... didn't sound too bad. Astarion was torn. On one hand, he was almost certain that he was willing to go through with it. Not just because he loved you and wanted you to be happy, though it was the main reason. But also because... he could be a part in making something good. A child that would never suffer the way he did, the way countless others had. One who would be loved, who would have the help they needed for their inevitable unholy hungers. Someone precious for the two of you to fret over, to adore and care for. He... wanted that. Or at least he would if you still did. Now if he could just figure out how to bring it up, maybe something could actually happen.

But luckily enough for him, you did the job for him. He had been pouring over another book dedicated to recording the births of Dhampirs in the area, only to be distracted by you loudly sighing behind him.

"What's wrong love?" Astarion asked, his eyes still scanning the page in front of him.

"Oh I don't know," You sighed, rounding the corner to sit on the edge of his desk, "I just can't help but wonder when you're going to explain why you've suddenly become obsessed with parenting books. And..."

You trailed off, ignoring his surprised expression to read the cover of what was in front of him, "'Vampiric and Mortal Love & The Spawn They Create'. It's not exactly your usual reading material."

Part of Astarion wanted to be surprised that you had already figured him out. He had at least been trying to hide things from you slightly, not that it mattered when you could read him like a book. And he supposed that blatantly reading things like this in front of you would eventually have an effect, even if he tried to obscure the titles.

But that didn't stop him from stuttering through a response, "Well-I, okay. I've just been thinking about options lately. Which you can't really do if you don't understand what they are. Hence the books."

You frowned at him, one leg crossed over the other, "Star, I already told you that you don't need to worry-"

"But I want to worry," Astarion interrupted, deciding that ripping the band-aid off would be the best course of action, "And if there is something I can be doing to make you happier than I should at least consider it."

"I'm not going to force you into this for that," You said softly, reaching out to twine his fingers against yours, "This isn't the kind of thing you do just for someone else."

Astarion was aware of that, there was an important truth to your words. But... "What if it wasn't just for you?"

You paused, your brow furrowed as you stared at him, "What do you mean?"

"I mean what if, and consider this purely hypothetical, what if I wanted one as well. What then?" It was as far from hypothetical as Astarion could get, but by the look on your face it didn't seemed like that needed to be clarified.

You swallowed, looking just shy of hopeful as you played with his hand, "I... well. I guess in that case we would have a lot to talk about."

That wasn't quite the answer he was looking for. He pressed on, "So if in theory, I did want one. Would... you still be interested in having one?"

With me?

He left that part unsaid as he waited for an answer, uncharacteristically nervous as you mulled it over. But you were smiling, bright and wide, giving his hand a little squeeze as you spoke, "I think that would be the only scenario where I would want it. If that's something you wanted."

"I think it is," Astarion answered honestly, done with being coy, "I don't know how, I... I'm not quite sure how I feel about you carrying something that could be dangerous. But... in general yes. I think I want this. I do want this. With you and only you. Whenever your ready."

The next part Astarion did see coming, his arms already open by the time you launched yourself at him. You straddled his lap, kissing every part of his face as you babbled, "We can wait! It doesn't need to be now but-I just-yes! Adoption, childbirth, I don't care. All I need is to have them with you. That's all I want."

"And that I can give," Astarion laughed, delighted at your reaction. He still had concerns, plenty of them in fact, but they were hard to consider when the woman he adored was so ecstatic.

He gripped your chin, chuckling at the whine you let out for him interrupting your onslaught of affection. You didn't have to wait long, not when he directed your mouth against his, kissing you deeply as a new wave of exciting, and slightly nauseating feelings worked through him.

He didn't know exactly what was going to happen in the future. He had no idea if he would be a good father, but he knew that he would try his damndest. He didn't know how the two of you would even procure a child, but he did no one thing.

With you by his side, it would work out. All of it, no matter how hard the road turned out to be. And that was all that mattered.

#astarion #astarion x reader #astarion x tav #baldur's gate 3 #asks #you'll pry my long posts out of my cold dead hands #spoilers #pregnancy mention #should i do a part 2 of this?#dhampir baby part two?#fun fact im actually so scared of pregnancy it sounds like hell to me #so pregnancy/child fics are very interesting to write #personally #i'm getting through these asks slowly but surely #nine more to go!

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forestwhisper3 · 9 months

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Plans to watch MM tomorrow, so I'll finally be able to come back to Tumblr and not worry about spoilers. Just popping in for a moment because while I have been able to do some writing for my fics, I was also goofing around a bit with a random idea that wriggled into my brain while at work, and I thought I'd share it. It's an MCU/Rottmt crossover.

Basically, the premise is that the mystic stuff going on during the fight with Shredder was strong enough for Loki to sense from Asgard, and he gets curious since, as far as he's aware, Midgard shouldn't have anything like that anymore. As he was already looking for a reason to take a break since Thor and the others were getting unbearable with talks of the Coronation becoming more serious, he decided to sneak out for a while to investigate. Yada yada, stuff happens, he meets the boys and somehow finds himself absorbed into their collective as an uncle figure/third dad. He doesn't really fight it.

However, someone decides to take advantage of his absence, and everything leading up to the Avengers movie still ends up happening. Needless to say, he's not happy to have to deal with that during his day out with the boys.

This is all pre-Krang, by the way, so having to face this first invasion would definitely affect how they act during the movie. Am I aware the timelines (as in the years that these events take place in their respective universes) don't match up at all? Yes. Yes, I am. However, I am choosing to purposefully not think about that and just let myself have fun with this. Now, here's a little segment I wrote. Enjoy. :D

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You will all fall before me."

"I highly doubt that," a smooth, familiar voice cut in.

Tony froze- an idle part of his mind noting how the hand gripping his face seemed to do so as well -and his eyes widened as he saw another Loki standing there. Unlike the one with the staff, however, this Loki was dressed much more casually in comparison- worn jeans, a T-shirt, and his hair tied back in a low ponytail.

And he did not look happy.

"You," staff Loki hissed, although curiously enough, Tony could see a hint of nervousness in his eyes.

"Me," casual Loki drawled before his arms uncrossed and he walked towards them, steps measured and purposeful.

"I was gone for one year," he began, voice irritated in the way only one who constantly had to deal with the stupidity of others could be. "One. Year! Practically nothing for Asgardians, and everything falls apart. All I wanted was a break, a bit of time for myself, but noooo. Clearly, even that was asking for too much."

He blinked. That…was not what he was expecting to hear.

"Uh…who are you?"

"How dare-!" staff Loki started before he was immediately up in the air, bound together by some invisible ropes or something and unable to speak.

Now free, Tony worked his jaw as he watched this crazy turn of events. Hey, the longer things stalled, the more time the others had to do what they needed.

"Quiet, you half-rate magician!" Casual Loki snarled before walking over and picking up the staff where it had fallen to the ground. "I don't even know what I'm more upset about- the fact that you dared to impersonate me in my absence or that no one sensed anything was amiss!"

Judging by how his expression darkened at the last bit, Tony was willing to bet which one bothered him more, and damn if he didn't feel a bit bad for the guy. Yeah, this was all confusing as fuck, but he knew what it was like to feel like no one cared enough to notice the important things.

Casual Loki studied the staff in his hands for a second before his eyes widened and he turned to glare at the…fake? Was that really what was happening here? This was seriously the kind of twist he'd expect out of a cheesy b-movie, not real life.

"Where did you get this?" he demanded.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" was the sneered response.

In a remarkable show of restraint unlike anything he'd seen from any Asgardian so far- even Point Break -the real(?) Loki took a deep breath and breathed slowly out of his nose.

"Remember what Dr. Feelings said," he muttered almost too quietly to hear, completely annihilating his trepidation or suspicion towards this new Loki.

There was no way anyone with destruction, world domination, or evilness in general on their mind would go to therapy (and seriously? Dr. Feelings? He hoped that was just a professional name).

Another deep breath, and real Loki finally turned to look at him.

Green.

For a moment, it was all he could see. Green eyes that were as bright and vivid and striking as that emerald he'd tried to buy Pepper once. Compared to the watered-down blue of the fake, it was a wonder Thor hadn't mentioned it. Unless he just didn't notice, which, sadly, sort of tracked with the little he knew about him.

He was really starting to understand why this guy was so pissed off.

"So, lemme get this straight," he said, if only to break the awkward silence he could feel starting to form. "This guy here," he gestured up to the Loki in the air who was scowling furiously at them, "-was pretending to be you? All while you were on what basically amounts to a vacation?"

"It appears so," Loki sighed before he finally gave in and pinched the bridge of his nose. "My sincerest apologies for the trouble. I cannot say I expected such a disaster to result from my time away, but clearly, I have overestimated what little intelligence and reasoning those back home possess."

He held back a cackle of amusement, but it was a near thing, and judging from the way the corner of Loki's mouth twitched, he'd noticed.

"So how'd you know to come here, then?"

"Where do you think I've been?" Loki asked with a huff of laughter.

"No kidding? I thought Asgardians thought we were a little backwater planet. Not exactly the first place I'd imagine for a trip."

"I assure you that Thor only said that because he's an uncultured brute too embarrassed to admit Midgardian technology is beyond his comprehension."

That time he didn't try holding back the cackle.

"How'd you know it was Thor?"

"Please. With that charlatan galavanting about, there is no other the Allfather would have sent. And last we spoke, my brother did not have the most favorable opinion of Midgard."

"Huh…You're the real deal, aren't you?" he asked, the reality of it all sinking in.

This whole time they'd been dealing with someone else. The who still needed to be answered- and that was probably a really important answer now that he thought about it -but this guy was the real Loki. The Loki that Thor talked about with fondness, even if there was grief mixed in. Now that he was getting a chance to have an actual conversation, he could see why Thor had been so defensive of him. He was clever enough to figure things out with minimal information and less closed-minded about things outside his world and culture. He was witty in a way he could appreciate and just…more approachable, in a way. More human.

Completely different from the other guy.

"The one and only," Loki grinned before a more serious expression settled on his face. "Now, we should probably figure out what to do about the portal device on your rooftop."

"Wait, didn't you stop it?"

"I only managed to interrupt the connection process, and even that is taking considerable focus on my end," Loki shook his head. "The best I can do is delay the portal from opening and hope we find a way to shut it down before then."

"How long do we have?"

"Around…eight minutes."

"That little?!"

Loki's brows furrowed. "I do not jest when I say I am one of the most powerful mages in the Nine Realms, but it is precisely for that reason we even have that long. As skilled as I am, I am no match for the power of an Infinity Stone."

"Infini-what now?"

Loki suddenly looked like he'd bitten into a lemon before he looked up at the ceiling as if asking for patience.

"Thor, you absolute oaf," he groaned, sounding like he was just done with it all. "Don't tell me you didn't even figure out this much?!"

"Does that mean it's time for plan B?" a voice asked, seeming to come from Loki's forearm.

A forearm that had a strange, glowing symbol of some kind floating above it, and how had he not noticed it until now?

"Yes," he sighed. "I suppose it does. But be careful. Let Donatello try to disable the device before you attempt anything mystic. There's no telling how the two energies will react to one another, and I don't want to risk you getting hurt. I'll never hear the end of it from your father otherwise."

"Ooh, I was hoping you'd say that!" a second voice replied excitedly. "Such beautiful and advanced technology! I can hardly wait to crack this baby open!"

"Nerd!"

"Guys, focus!" yet another voice- and was it just him, or did they all sound really young? -cut in sternly. "You heard what he said! We've only got eight minutes!"

"Technically less now."

"Not helping, Leo."

"We got this!" a fourth voice chirped, somehow managing to sound cheerful and determined all at once. "Don't worry about us! Just do your thing, and we'll do ours, okay? Okay! Good luck, love you, bye!"

There was a crack and a yelp from the other side.

"I'm fine!" the second voice said, sounding a bit muffled. "Just some minor resistance!"

"Dude, why does the machine have a force field?!"

"Shut up! The comm's still on!"

"Oh shit, turn it off! Turn it-!"

The sound cut off, and the glowing circle faded. Loki stared at his arm for a moment, a mix of emotions warring on his face. Concern was one, along with exasperation, but there was amusement there too, and fondness.

"So…kids, huh?" he asked, admittedly curious. "Thor never mentioned being an uncle, but then again, mythology does say differently."

Loki snorted. "So I've seen. I can assure you, Stark, that those stories have been grossly exaggerated."

"You didn't deny it, though."

He grinned when that got an actual chuckle in response.

"I nursed a few animals back to health in my youth," he clarified. "But word of mouth and crude record keeping stretched out over a few hundred years tend to make for a wildly different account of events."

"Like the world's longest and most twisted game of telephone."

"And here I thought I was the ancient one."

That startled a laugh out of him.

"Oh, I like you," he grinned.

He really hoped this wasn't some sort of elaborate trap because he was already attached. He wondered what the odds were for him to convince Loki to extend his vacation after this…

"Now, as riveting as this conversation is, we do have a rather pressing matter on our hands," Loki reminded him. "One that I would like to resolve as quickly as possible lest-"

"LOKI!!"

"Oh for fuck's s-"

He didn't get to finish before he was thrown against a wall.

#Forest chases a plot bunny #I caught it briefly and fed it enough for it to leave me alone #For now #The joys of being a fanfic author #Hope you liked it. It was fun to write #Maybe I'll explore this a bit more in the future #But not now. I've got too much going on right now #The boys know about the Frost Giant bit btw #It was an accident #But they didn't give their new uncle the chance to hate himself for it #They think it's really cool actually. That ended up helping him a lot.#Anyway that's enough out of me #Later!#rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt #marvel mcu #the avengers

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liliesah · 2 years

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"there is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable"

I have been thinking about Tomione for a few days now and I just need to get it off my chest so I'm going to just dump this here, sorry.

Disclaimer: I am aware that this is not a healthy ship. I know that no matter the context/trope, their dynamic would be "toxic" - an imbalance of power, age gap, manipulation ...

But, BUT, their potential is insane. There are only a few scenarios in which Hermione and Tom could meet. And almost all of them make sense for their characters (in my opinion).

There's Hermione not being able to defeat Voldemort and losing everything in the war. She is consumed by grief, takes a time turner, and goes back in time to end things before they can begin. Yes, she would consider what effects her actions have on the timeline but I believe that after potentially losing Ron and Harry, she wouldn't consider it for too long. She would try to go back as far as possible and somehow end up in Tom's 7th year. Hermione decides to attend Hogwarts, prepared to face the man who murdered her friends. Eventually, they meet. And they clash. She is inherently good, he is inherently bad. She hates him, he is intrigued by this stranger who joins them halfway through the school year and seems to know everything. Hermione struggles with using an unforgivable curse so she stays longer than she thought. Tom notices her intelligence in class, tries to get closer. And Hermione fights with herself constantly because sometimes- sometimes they disagree in class and they argue and it's not like arguing with Harry or Ron or anyone else. There's finally someone who matches her intellect. And not liking their discussions, not being curious about his mind or his opinions is a daily battle she is bound to lose.

There is the more unrealistic scenario of Hermione being insanely curious about Tom Riddle and going back in time to meet him. She knows not to mess with time so this would be a little out of character for her. But she is also more curious than any other character in the series, especially regarding scientific topics. Following that urge to know is not too far off. She would also struggle with knowing his past and future actions and the suffering he will cause. But she is a teenager and so is he- a polite, charming, incredibly attractive teenager. Things escalate and they escalate much further than she ever thought possible.

Hermione being the one to find Tom's diary. She keeps it for years- she doesn't trust the person inside the book, keeps her distance. But as she gets older, closer to his age, her curiosity wins. She agrees to Tom showing her memories of Hogwarts (because of course they have talked about what Hogwarts looked like in the 40s- Hermione desperately wanted to compare her knowledge from Hogwarts: A History to someone who was willing to share their experience). And she doesn't understand why her neck suddenly feels warm when she sees him for the first time. Only after reemerging does she notice that she looked at him much more than her surroundings. She tells herself that it will be different next time. Deep down, she knows it won't be.

Tom somehow manages to find a way to travel to the future. His goal is simple: Will his plans succeed? Does he need to adjust anything? Is there a person he cannot trust? He arrives to a world that has been torn apart by war and terror. In search for the cause of his downfall, he inevitably stumbles upon the golden trio and one curly-haired witch- and what on earth makes her so special? What did she do? He understands that Harry is the chosen one and could not care less about Ron but what is it about Hermione Granger? He needs to find out, needs to know, needs to ...

In every scenario, they clash. Like I said, it's good against bad, morals against hunger, love against power. But they're also alike. Intelligent, thirsty, determined. In many ways, they can push each other, understand the other like no one else can. It wouldn't be a beautiful love story with a happy ending. It would be dark, intense, all-consuming. The kind of connection that stays with you for the rest of your life. Every time they're together, Hermione feels like she dies a hundred times - she shouldn't be doing this, it's foridden, is it not? Tom loses all sense of self when he is with her, every ounce of control just evaporates.

#tomione #hermione granger #tom riddle #yeah so their potential is just crazy #i'm sure there's more scenarios #can you imagine the moment they finally give in to each other?#holy moly

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pumpkinpaix · 4 years

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HI! I'm new to the MDZS fandom and I fell in love with Suibian, but you don't see it that much. I seen somewhere that it would burn out a weaker core and I cried cause I wanted to see that, and as far as I know it doesn't happen anywhere. I'm wondering if you could tell me anything and everything you know about Suibian. I'm starving for anything about it

hi anon! ahahah, it’s always a dangerous thing to ask me about “anything and everything” on a topic because I usually have too many thoughts, most of which are unorganized. but! if you’re interested in that, then here we go!

First, re: your comment about Suibian burning out a weaker core: I am not aware of this theory (or is it something from an interview?? if someone knows, please say so!), but if it brings you joy, then it’s certainly an interesting one to consider! Unfortunately, I don’t have much more to say on it because I’m unfamiliar with it, but I do have quite a lot to say on some other Suibian concepts!

ask and ye shall receive (a very jumbled heap of thoughts as i spiral further and further out of control):

[all rough translations are mine, and thus all mistakes are mine. I am using the version of the novel that is available on luoxia because I can’t be bothered to go flipping through my print edition ahaha.]

the questions about Suibian that interest me the most are why it sealed, when it sealed, when Wei Wuxian began to wield it again, and what that might all mean. I’m going to be talking about novel, CQL, and audio drama canon all together, because I think looking at each canon alone and in combination can raise a lot of very different points!! (I have not watched the donghua or read the manhua yet, so forgive me, I have nothing to say about them. /o\)

So! the one piece of information that we’re given consistently throughout all three of the canons is that Suibian was sealed after Wei Wuxian’s death and that no one but Wei Wuxian himself (and Jiang Cheng, by proxy) could draw it from its sheathe. Thus, Wei Wuxian’s identity is revealed and the golden core swap comes to light. Wei Wuxian is surprised by this, and asks Lan Wangji, “Did it really seal itself?” (novel, chapter 63; CQL, ep 42; audio drama, S2E15).

The novel and audio drama both include a line from Wei Wuxian that emphasizes Wei Wuxian’s surprise, implying that sword-sealing is very uncommon:

万中无一的大好事竟然让我给撞上了

Something incredible that happens less than once per ten thousand times, and I actually encountered it.

the irony, of course, is that this incredible thing is what ended up blowing his cover. rip Wei Wuxian.

but what I think gets really interesting is comparing different points at which Suibian sealed itself and what that might imply in conjunction with other information. Jin Guangyao says “shortly after” his death, but CQL includes a scene in episode 19 that implies that Suibian actually sealed itself much earlier.

[ID: Gif from episode 19 of the untamed drama. Lan Wangji attempts to draw Suibian after he and Jiang Cheng storm the Nightless City and retrieve their swords. He cannot pull it from the sheathe. /end ID]

(in case anyone is curious, it’s about 30 minutes in. I spent the effort to make the gif, so I might as well give you the timestamp lol)

this scene takes place during the period of time when Wei Wuxian is in the Mass Graves (aka the Burial Mounds) after Wen Chao cast him down and left him for dead, right near the beginning of Sunshot. I’m fairly certain it’s not mentioned in either the novel or the audio drama, so this is a CQL-only detail. (please correct me if I’m wrong; I get my canons muddled all the time //hides face)

CQL basically does nothing narratively with this scene other than giving us some sad shots of Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng (honestly, valid ;A;) but!! if we decide to accept this scene as our jumping off point, we can get to some interpretations about Wei Wuxian using information from the other canons!

take this exchange from chapter 57 of the novel (immediately prior to the massacre at lotus cove):

江澄道：“还不是又为咱们的剑的事去温家了。一想到我的三毒现在说不定被哪只温狗握在手里，真是……”

他面露嫌恶之色，魏无羡道：“可惜咱们的剑还不够灵，要是能自动封剑，那就谁也别想用了。”

江澄道：“你再修炼个八十年，说不定可以。”

Jiang Cheng said, “He’s gone to the Wen sect regarding our swords again, hasn’t he. Whenever I think that my Sandu might even now be in some Wen-dog’s hands, ugh…”

His face filled with loathing, Wei Wuxian said, “What a pity our swords don’t have enough spirit. If they could seal themselves, then no one could even think about using them.”

Jiang Cheng said, “If you kept cultivating for another eighty years, maybe.”

from the novel, it seems clear that sword-sealing is something that only happens when a person’s cultivation level is exceptionally high. if this is true, and we go with the CQL timeline of Suibian sealing itself long before Wei Wuxian’s death, it means that Wei Wuxian’s cultivation level wasn’t just high, it was leagues above pretty much anyone else when he was still a teenager. (In fact, Suibian had most likely already sealed by the time this conversation takes place.)

If we don’t go with CQL’s timeline, however, I think we could make a very different argument. It’s a bit of a reach, but I think it’s a lot of fun, if you’re willing to come with me on this journey!

Jin Guangyao says Suibian sealed itself “shortly after” Wei Wuxian’s death, but we don’t really have external confirmation of that. For all we know, someone only bothered to test it sometime after his death, and Suibian had been sealed for some indefinite amount of time. All we can say for sure is that by some point shortly after Wei Wuxian’s death, Suibian was already sealed and resisted being drawn by anyone who tried it.

We’re told over and over that one can only wield a spiritual sword effectively if you have a golden core/the spiritual energy to match it. Wei Wuxian stops carrying/using Suibian because he knows that in his hands, it will act as nothing more than an ordinary sword. His method of cultivation is no longer suitable for the sword. Suibian is tied to both Wei Wuxian’s soul and his golden core.

If sword-sealing only happens when the cultivator’s level is unbelievably high, then I think we can make the argument here that by the time of his death, Wei Wuxian’s core was likewise unbelievably strong – but Wei Wuxian is no longer the one developing his core. Jiang Cheng is.

I know it’s a ridiculous reach. To be clear, I don’t think the text actually intends this or supports this in any meaningful way, but I do think that it gives us some very tasty potential!! If Suibian sealed itself sometime after the core transfer (which, honestly, we wouldn’t know – after all, who’s been trying to draw Wei Wuxian’s sword?), but just if, I think we can plausibly make the argument that Jiang Cheng’s cultivation is truly extraordinary.

:DDDDDDDD

It’s fun right?? It’s a fun concept!!! Even if it’s nonsense, even if it’s not that deep, even if this was an unintentional coincidence, I think it would be interesting to look at this as being some kind of measure of Jiang Cheng’s accomplishments. On the flip side, I also think it’s very important thematically that Jiang Cheng’s value as a person has nothing to do with his cultivation, that he is, in fact, always second-best, but that doesn’t make him any less worthwhile or deserving of love. Maybe I’m just projecting lmao. Of course, being extraordinary doesn’t preclude him from still lagging behind Wei Wuxian–Wei Wuxian might have just been more extraordinary ahahah. We can have both!!

Now for a totally different thing! Interestingly, this conversation about cultivation levels and sword-sealing (the one with Jiang Cheng) also happens in the audio drama, S2E12 (about 15 minutes in, since I just checked), but Wei Wuxian adds an additional comment:

(don’t have the transcription of the original chinese, I’m just going to translate it as I hear it)

“But maybe you don’t need to cultivate to a certain level to have your sword seal itself. What if there were some other way?”

these two versions of the conversation actually imply pretty different things, I think! this addition opens the possibility to the audience that sword-sealing is possible even without an extraordinary level of cultivation, and I think lends credence to the idea that Suibian is just an unusually loyal sword, regardless of Wei Wuxian’s cultivation level. Whether that’s something inherent to Suibian’s “personality”, or whether this says something about how Wei Wuxian inspires loyalty wherever he goes, or whether it just speaks to the strength of their bond remains to be seen.

(obviously, this could imply any number of other things as well, but I find this to be the interpretation that makes me happiest.)

If we go with “Suibian seals itself after Wei Wuxian’s death” in this canon, I think this emphasizes the loyalty aspect with a touch of grief.

If we combine this with CQL and have “Suibian has been loyal since he was a teenager”, that also emphasizes the loyalty aspect – just in a different way.

Of course, doing meta combining unique details from different canons is largely pointless in terms of crafting any real “analysis”, so I’m mostly saying all of this because I enjoy the process of building the supercanon in my head that brings me the most joy! To summarize the varied interpretations I’ve brought up in this post:

CQL-only: Suibian sealed itself when Wei Wuxian was a teenager, at latest, by the time he was thrown into the Mass Graves.

Novel-only: Sword-sealing is very rare and achievable only through extraordinarily high cultivation. Shortly after Wei Wuxian’s death, Suibian is discovered to have sealed itself, so Wei Wuxian’s core, by the time of his death, was extraordinarily powerful.

Audio drama-only: Sword-sealing is considered very rare and achievable only through extraordinarily high cultivation, but might also be accomplished by other methods. Shortly after Wei Wuxian’s death, Suibian is discovered to have sealed itself. If Wei Wuxian’s core is not wildly and improbably powerful, this implies that Suibian has become an exceptionally loyal sword by the time of his death.

CQL/novel: Wei Wuxian was already incredibly powerful by the time he was a teenager.

CQL/audio drama: Suibian has been exceptionally loyal to Wei Wuxian since at least his teenage years.

Novel and audio drama-only have a much wider range of when Suibian could have sealed itself, as mentioned, so there are further variances within those interpretations.

there’s a lot of potential here!! with my personal feelings regarding the story, I like novel-only with Suibian sealing post-core transfer, audio drama-only with Suibian sealing post-Wei Wuxian’s death, or CQL/audio drama with Suibian sealing as a teenager pretty much all equally. I think the CQL/novel interpretation gets too close to casting Wei Wuxian as a hyper-special and innately noble individual in a way that undercuts the strength of his character arc, but that’s my opinion. (As an aside, this is actually one of my major complaints about CQL in general, independent from what I’m talking about here. But that is a topic for another day ahahaha. To be clear, I still love CQL very much, despite my many frustrations!)

As for what I think is the most “likely” to be the “right” interpretation (whatever that’s worth), I would probably say the one that emphasizes Suibian’s loyalty with Suibian sealing post-death, because I think it’s the most thematically cohesive and has the textual support to back it. (I think it’s a valid interpretation even using novel-only text; it’s just slightly less explicit without the additional comment from Wei Wuxian.)

A final detail:

We don’t get anything from either CQL or the novel that explicitly addresses when/if Wei Wuxian is able to wield Suibian again, but the audio drama’s rendition of the “Yunmeng” extra very subtly indicates that by the time that extra takes place, Wei Wuxian has cultivated a golden core and is carrying his sword once more. You only get it at a couple of moments, but Suibian sometimes clinks when Wei Wuxian moves or when he bumps into something. The two instances I can remember specifically are when Lan Wangji tosses the ring onto him (the ring hits Suibian), and when he’s rowing the little boat onto the lotus pond and the motion makes a sound. It’s!!! Extremely good!!! It makes my heart very full!!!!!

ANYWAYS, if all of my scattered rambling didn’t fill the Suibian-shaped hole in your heart, I would also like to recommend @zeldacw‘s wonderful WangQingSuiChen series of comics, featuring anthropomorphized versions of Wangji guqin, Chenqing, Suibian, and Bichen. I believe the most recent comic is here, and there are links to the rest of the comics in the post. If you just want her general tag for the AU (which is more than just the comics), it’s here!

If you have interest in listening to the audio drama yourself, you can purchase it through the MissEvan app (Mao’er FM). There are buying instructions linked in this post! If you need English subtitles, @suibiansubs is the group that does them. :)

I really can’t recommend the audio drama enough, tbh, it’s really really dear to my heart, and the team clearly worked so hard and cared so deeply for the story they were trying to tell. Consider this my regularly scheduled plug for the audio drama ahaha.

As always, my meta is my meta and if you don’t vibe with it, that’s chill! I change my opinions constantly (I think I changed them like three times in the course of writing this ahahaha), and I know some of my older meta has been making the rounds and every time I see it I think about all the ways my views have shifted since I wrote it rip. For this post moreso than usual, I want to emphasize that pretty much all of the meta included in this is meant to explore intriguing what-if possibilities, not for serious literary analysis purposes. I am aware that a lot of this is reaching/overinterpreting into implications that probably aren’t there. I just think they’re fun to consider!

so this was a mess, but I hope you or someone out there enjoyed it anon!!

(ko-fi, if you’re so moved)

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comicbooksidecharacter · 3 years

Text

Hiraeth [Part 27]

Bucky Barnes X OC (Amelia Stone)

Hiraeth: (n.) “longing or deep yearning for a place, time, feeling or person long gone; or that never was.”

Summary: Things have changed for those who opposed the Sokovian accords. They spend a Christmas together.

*very tiny chapter I wrote to make ground for more fluff*

She didn't know how long it would take to get used to the mildew of their new apartment. It was a fairly decent establishment, but the rain always dampened the wall; that combined with the fact that the landlord was always doing weed.

She was still struggling a lot with her pain, some days more than others. Now that she had also left the facility, there was no way to keep a close eye on the wound. It used to burn every once in while, particularly when she had those recurring nightmares, now vivid, of being tortured, at the hands of HYDRA, and Bucky. She could remember how she got some of her cuts, that had left a mark on her skin. She couldn't really remember how she hurt her chest.

Maybe it was why Bucky was avoiding her. Somewhere in his mind, he was relating Tony's anger to her forgiveness, doubting if her forgiveness would turn on him the moment he made another mistake. It made him very aware of everyone's presence, and he seemed keen to stay in the shadows, and not interact with them so much. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought he was like that. Brooding, proud, antisocial and a recluse.

Christmas arrived, it was bittersweet, because the team celebrated it together, at least once during the 25 days. To keep up with the festivities, they all decided to have a Secret Santa. It was a beautiful evening on the 24th. The warmth was just right, it made the house feel like a safe haven from the bone-chilling winter outside. The world had gone to a deep slumber under the blanket of fresh snow. The smell of cinnamon and apple had muffled that of the mildew she always complained about. Steve was telling stories of his childhood; Sam was astonished that Steve was indeed a grandpa. Natasha was drinking wine, Bucky too, sitting in the chair and smiling as Steve recounted shared memories.

Ellie had just left the room a minute earlier, and came back holding her phone. Steve and Natasha were to notice.

"Ellie", Steve began, "Come on. Not today. It's Christmas."

"Just one minute Steve."

"He said he'll come, so he will. And if he doesn't, well.. we see that later."

The cryptic nature of their conversation caught Bucky's attention, whose eyes suddenly landed on Ellie and her phone.

"True", she replied, "Ugh.... I am just so nervous."

"Didn't you set the time with him?", Sam asked too.

"Well, he said around Christmas, that too in a mall or something", she replied. "He apparently has a thing for festivities and lights." Ellie closed her phone and put it away.

"Are you sure you want to meet him?", Sam asked, "I mean, you've not really done this kinda stuff before."

"It's ok. Exploring new horizons", she replied. "The world has changed."

"And yet somehow it's still the same", Natasha continued. She put her glass away and straightened the ruffles of her beautiful green dress. "So, let's do the gift thing and get this over with."

Ellie put her phone away and settled on the beanbag next to the fireplace. The gifts were brought and they began to unwrap them.

It began with Steve. It was a small rectangular box, no longer than his hand, wrapped in blue and silver paper, with a red bow on it. He chuckled at the color scheme and unwrapped it. Silence followed.

"Geez", he could manage to say, but his eyes were wide.

"What is it?", Natasha asked.

"It's a Swiss army knife", he said, tracing the sides with his finger. "1939. Belonged to one of my friends in the regiment."

They all looked at the name carved on the side of the knife. "L. R. Anthony."

"We shared a tent during one of our missions. Really, a gem of a man. Had a wife, Margie and.. 4 children I think. A pair of girls and boys. Kentucky.. Man..." Ellie took a moment to steal a glance at Bucky who, as usual, felt indecipherable.

There was silence in the room. All they could hear was the fire.

Sam opened his gift and found paper inside.

"What's this?", he read the card inside. It had two tickets to the quarter finals of a football match. "WHO BALLIN?" he announced, smiling enthusiastically.

Natasha was next to open her gift. Someone had gifted her tickets to Disneyland and an invitation to a fancy restaurant. She could definitely use a break. They all could.

Ellie had a small packet in her hand, looked like a letter envelope. She opened the flaps and two things. One was a really delicate chain, made of silver probably. It had the most delicate pendant on it, a rose. There was one more thing, a small plastic bag, with small bead-like things.

"Are these seeds?", she asked, examining them closely. The paper at the bottom of the box said so. It was geranium and carnation seeds. She looked so happy, always having an interest in horticulture. Her silence though, made everyone curious.

“Something wrong?”

"No. I just... I love it!", she said, smiling faintly.

Bucky was last, awkwardly fidgeting with the box in his hand, it was a brown box, wrapped in a plain black string with a tiny plastic pine cone in place of a bow. He opened the box carefully and found two things inside, a nice woolen sweater and an empty journal. On top lay a note which said, "To new memories..."

Announcing that they were going to be late for dinner, Natasha put the gifts away. While everyone was putting their things away, Bucky was wearing the warm brown sweater he found in his gift.

“It’s a perfect fit”, Steve commented, passing him by to get the keys.

“It is”, Bucky replied, making final adjustments to the hem. He had been estranged for so long, the feeling of a home made him feel awkward. If he could, he would have tried to liken this Christmas to all of his past ones, good ones, but memory wouldn’t serve him that well. It was outside the house his mind was trapped in, and the guard was too strong.

Ellie stood right next to him, looking at herself in the giant hallway mirror. She was wearing a lovely black dress, with a thigh high slit and perfect stockings to match. Her hair were open and flowing beautifully down.

“Can you help me?”, she asked, awkwardly, holding the chain in her hand. “I might as well wear this too.”

“It matches..”

Bucky clipped the chain, the tiny gold rose pendant twinkling under the light. It looked perfect. She looked at his sweater and smiled.

“Looks nice”, she said, walking away.

“Yes it does”, he replied, in a low voice, looking at himself again, “Thanks Amy.”

----------------------------

Sorry it got hella long. I wanted to make some sense of the timeline and also, Bucky related fluff angst had to be there lol. Also... Is the series too long? Should I be cutting it short? I just like details a little too much.

Taglist:

This champ

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