#whose true affections are kept secret

[theprophecyforetold]

rip finnick odair and fiyero tigelaar, you would’ve loved each other

[angelsfat3]

ⓘㅤ 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄. ⠀⠀( 你是我的命运。)

͏𝒮ummary “ ✉. 𝖫𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝗍𝗂𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝗇 𝖻𝗅𝗈𝗈𝖽, 𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝖻𝗒 𝖺𝗋𝗋𝗈𝗀𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖺 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗍𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖾𝗇𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝗂𝖿𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾𝖽. 𝖭𝗈𝗐 𝗁𝖾 𝗁𝖺𝗌 𝖽𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗒 𝗂𝗇 𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗁𝖺𝗇𝖽𝗌 𝖺𝗀𝖺𝗂𝗇 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝖽𝗈 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝖺𝖿𝗋𝖺𝗂𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝖽𝗈 𝖺𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾. 𝖧𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎.

⠀،،⠀𝒢𝑒𝑛𝑟𝑒. ’ 𝖲𝗎𝗀𝗀𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾, 𝖿𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖺𝗌𝗒, 𝖽𝗋𝖺𝖻𝖻𝗅𝖾, smau.

( 𝒄/𝒘. )───𝖬𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗈𝖿 𝖻𝗅𝗈𝗈𝖽 (𝗆𝗂𝗅𝖽), 𝖺𝗋𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾𝖽 𝗆𝖺𝗋𝗋𝗂𝖺𝗀𝖾, 𝗁𝗂𝖽𝖽𝖾𝗇 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾.

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

In the shadowy corridors of the palace, where candlelight barely managed to tear through the veil of darkness, Sunghoon moved with the haunting grace of a prince carrying a destiny as heavy as the stone walls surrounding him. Each step echoed in the emptiness, his elegant, icy stride leaving a trail of silence and reverence, as if even the air feared to touch him.

Since his youth, Sunghoon had learned to wrap his soul in a box of ice, a perfect mask of arrogance that kept him distant, unreachable. The whispers in the hallways followed him like an echo in the twilight, murmuring with fear and envy, yet no one dared to cross the invisible line he imposed. However, there was one soul who managed to dissolve that barrier as effortlessly as starlight pierces the night’s darkness.

[…], the young servant whose presence seemed to draw sparks of life into the palace's cold, lifeless heart, was the only one capable of seeing the true Sunghoon. With him, in those hidden corners, far from watchful eyes, the unbreakable prince revealed his fragility, as if in the shelter of his presence he could shed his icy armor.

There, where the palace’s whispers faded and time itself seemed to pause, Sunghoon gazed at him with a devotion that bordered on celestial; with […], he was vulnerable and ardent, letting himself be consumed by a love that knew no bounds.

To him, […] was more than a lover; he was his anchor in an ocean of shadows, the only glimmer of warmth in his desolate existence. In […]’s eyes, he saw a world where he could be human, where every touch and every glance built a home.

Sunghoon knew that for […], he would sacrifice everything, even his own kingdom of shadows, because without him, the palace was nothing more than a glorious, cold tomb.

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

But in the cold and cruel reality, Sunghoon knew that his love for […] was his own damnation.

As a prince, he was trapped in an unyielding fate, bound to marry a woman to ensure the continuation of the dynasty. This responsibility was a poison that consumed him day and night, a constant reminder of the betrayal that his title imposed upon him.

The mere thought of being unfaithful to his beloved, even if only in appearance, tore at his soul. So he swore to himself, with the fervor of one who binds his life to a vow, that he would rather die than break the purity of his devotion. That promise became his greatest burden and, at the same time, the reason he kept moving forward.

The day of his wedding was one of the darkest moments in Sunghoon’s life. Amidst the opulence of the palace, surrounded by nobles and murmurs of approval, he spoke his vows, yet in his mind, every word was directed to […]. Every syllable, every oath, belonged to him, as if he could immortalize his secret love within the echo of those hollow promises.

His wife, a noblewoman with a kind heart, would never know love within their marriage. Sunghoon maintained an impeccable distance, fulfilling only the façade, ensuring that neither desire nor affection would ever cross that invisible threshold.

To fulfill the demands of the crown without tainting his vow, he discreetly hired a man to father the heirs expected of him, thus preserving the sanctity of his promise to […].

But fate, cruel and relentless, had other plans.

Upon learning of the engagement that would bind their lives in a pretense of loyalty, [...] felt something break within.

He couldn’t bear the thought of losing Sunghoon, of watching him live beside someone else, even if his love for him remained untouched. The torment of this prospect pushed him to the edge.

Days of silent despair and nights of loneliness piled up until they became unbearable.

The young servant, who had silently endured the weight of a forbidden love and the pain of an impossible future, finally broke. [...] knew that this sentence was a cruel imposition, that the weight of such an obligation would destroy Sunghoon, leaving him hollow, robbing him of his very soul.

Unable to endure the thought of becoming a constant reminder of that curse, and convinced that his love would never be more than a burden, he came to the conclusion that only death could free him and grant Sunghoon a peace he could never otherwise find.

In his final moments before making his decision, [...] summoned a courage tinged with sadness and wrote a letter. With trembling hands and tears staining the paper, he allowed his heart to speak in each word, letting his consuming pain and boundless love pour forth, transforming his suffering into a near-divine plea. Each sentence was a farewell, an echo of the devotion that could never die, even when he would leave this world.

“I cannot live without you, and I know that you cannot truly live with me under these circumstances. I would rather be your final breath than a weight you carry in your heart.”

That letter, steeped in love and tragedy, was the last thing [...] left behind, a ghost destined to haunt Sunghoon’s life forever.

When Sunghoon found [...], the world stopped spinning, and with it, all sense of reality vanished.

In an instant, every wall of self-control and coldness he had built over the years as an untouchable, distant prince crumbled, exposing a pain so profound it seemed to tear the air around him.

[...] lay on the floor of his private room, surrounded by a pool of blood that, to Sunghoon, seemed like the final sacrifice of a love that had given everything, down to its last breath.

The palace walls seemed to absorb his suffering, silent witnesses to the tragedy now engulfing the prince.

Shaking, Sunghoon knelt beside [...]’s lifeless body. His hands hesitated, almost fearing to touch his beloved and confirm that the warmth they once shared had vanished forever.

[...]’s face lay still, his skin cold as marble, pale as the moon on a starless night. The light that once shone in his eyes, that spark of love and hope that had sustained Sunghoon in his darkest moments, was now extinguished, leaving only a trace of dried tears on his cheeks.

His fingers still clutched a letter, crumpled and marked with the imprint of his desperation—a testament of eternal love and boundless sorrow.

With trembling hands, Sunghoon took the letter and read each word, feeling his own life slip away as he grasped [...]’s sacrifice.

It was as if the entire world was collapsing around him, and each farewell phrase echoed in his mind like the shattering of a promise, a vow of love he could never fulfill.

Collapsing, he held his beloved’s body against his chest, clinging to him as if that desperate embrace could merge them, blur the line between life and death, and bring him back. But brutal reality gripped him tightly.

In that moment, the weight of eternity without [...] became a real abyss, pulling him into an impossible void.

Then, a heart-wrenching scream escaped his lips, breaking the silence of the palace and echoing like a soul-tearing lament. That voice, once a symbol of authority and control, now shattered in a desperate plea, in an uncontrollable sob.

Sunghoon’s tears fell onto [...]’s motionless face as he murmured broken words of eternal love, shattered promises, and unanswered pleas, as if the pain in his heart could defy death itself.

Each tear, each whisper was a powerless cry, a fierce longing to challenge fate, a silent plea to a cruel universe that had taken away the only light ever to illuminate his shadows.

And there, in the dimness of that cold room, Sunghoon understood he had lost something irreplaceable, and in the silence that followed his weeping, only the eternal emptiness of a love that could never die remained.

From that moment on, Sunghoon was never the same; his eyes lost their spark, and his soul, consumed by guilt and sorrow, became a wandering shadow, seeking a solace that would never come.

For him, [...]’s death was the true end, and his own existence became an eternal punishment, a reminder of a love that survived even beyond death itself.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

In the present day, Sunghoon remained the cold, distant being he had learned to be, but those who truly knew him understood that this coldness concealed depths of emotion few could imagine.

He had perfected the art of indifference, projecting an impenetrable image that made those around him regard him with respect, fear, and, in many cases, admiration—just as in his days as an emperor.

To the world, he was the unattainable one, the quiet member of a popular group on the university campus, consisting of six other young immortals, each with a past as dark and enigmatic as his own.

These eternal companions were his allies, and together, they embodied a magnetic, mysterious presence that granted them an untouchable status.

No one dared to come too close, no one attempted to cross the invisible barrier that surrounded them. And this was precisely what Sunghoon had desired for centuries.

After the tragedy with [...], he had learned never to allow anyone to break that distance, which protected him from any further loss.

But everything changed one morning like any other.

Sunghoon was in class, listening to the professor’s words, lost in his usual icy calm, when a peculiar scent suddenly invaded his senses—a scent he had sworn he would never encounter again. It was a familiar and painfully intense aroma, the same one he had chased for centuries, filling his dreams and haunting his sleepless nights.

The classroom door opened, and a young man walked in, completely unaware of the turmoil he was about to unleash.

Sunghoon could barely control the surprise that crossed his usually impassive face. His dead heart seemed to beat once more as he looked at the newcomer, who radiated the same essence that had once belonged to [...]—the essence he had thought lost forever.

It was as if time had stopped, as if every second of his hellish life had been only a wait for this precise moment.

The young man, unknowingly, was enveloped in the same fragrance, in the same aura of warmth that had once been Sunghoon’s emotional home.

His features were so similar, so vivid, that the prince almost feared it was an illusion, a cruel manifestation of his own longing to see him again.

But it wasn’t.

That being, whoever he was, had the same gaze, the same face, the same essence as Sunghoon’s one true love.

The young man looked around, scanning the classroom with a carefree expression, until his eyes met Sunghoon's. In that instant, the entire world disappeared.

The hardness that had kept him whole over the centuries began to crack; the pain, the agony, the longing he had suppressed returned with a devastating force, hitting him with every second he held that gaze.

Sunghoon felt the love he had buried so deeply resurface, mixed with an unbearable agony that almost made him collapse in his seat.

He had to approach him, he had to speak to him, he had to know if perhaps... could it be possible that his love had returned? Could this young man be a reincarnation of [...], or just someone with his same appearance, destined to torment him for eternity?

But doubt tore at him.

What if it was only a cruel, vivid dream? What if this young man was nothing more than a coincidence, a stranger who shared none of the memories or feelings Sunghoon had held onto for centuries? What if he tried to speak to him and discovered that those eyes, so clearly reminiscent of [...], were empty of recognition?

Yet a deep, almost desperate need drove him.

It was an opportunity he had never imagined he would have again, and the thought of letting it slip away was as unbearable as the possibility that he was only a stranger.

The professor interrupted his thoughts by introducing the new student. "[...], you can sit next to Sunghoon; it looks like there’s an empty seat there."

The name echoed in Sunghoon’s mind like an endless refrain, a forgotten melody that suddenly returned, unearthing emotions he had buried deep within his soul.

Destiny? Coincidence? In that moment, it mattered little. He only felt that the entire world had compressed into the short distance [...] walked toward the empty seat beside him.

With each step the young man took toward him, Sunghoon felt the nonexistent beat of his heart like a frantic drum. The air seemed to thicken, and he had to fight to keep his expression calm.

His friends, silent and attentive, watched him discreetly, their eyes reflecting a tacit understanding. They knew the story, knew what [...] had been in his life and what his loss had meant.

Sunghoon maintained his composure, though inside, a storm of emotions tore through him. Pain, hope, the desperate urge to believe in the impossible—all of it swirled together, so intensely that he almost trembled.

Finally, [...] sat beside him, and Sunghoon closed his eyes for a moment, allowing himself a brief second of peace.

After centuries of darkness, a light had returned to his life. But that light brought with it the shadow of his love—a love that had been his salvation, betrayal, and condemnation; a desire that had consumed him and now rekindled with a burning intensity.

Sunghoon opened his eyes and glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. There he was, so close that he could feel his breathing, the warmth of his body, the unmistakable essence he had desperately sought in every corner of time.

And in that instant, unnoticed by anyone, Sunghoon vowed that this time he would not lose him, no matter what eternity had in store.

But, at the same time, a doubt lingered in the depths of his being: what if this [...] was only a reflection, a different being who merely bore the appearance and soul of the one he still loved madly? What if, by getting too close, that perfect illusion would vanish, leaving only the emptiness of an eternal absence?

As the class continued, Sunghoon felt the weight of that uncertainty pulsing through his veins.

He knew he was risking more than his own peace, something deeper than the simple longing for a reunion.

And though the desire to speak to him consumed him, to search his eyes for a spark of recognition, he dared not move, not even to breathe.

Until, in a moment of apparent coincidence, [...] turned his head slightly, and their gazes met. In his eyes, Sunghoon thought he saw something—a fleeting connection, a barely perceptible glimmer, but enough to shake his foundations.

The young man smiled, a brief and enigmatic smile, as if they shared a secret the world had yet to understand.

It was such a subtle gesture that Sunghoon felt his cold heart waver once more, caught between hope and fear.

And for the first time in centuries, Sunghoon felt that eternity might be a place worth existing, worth living in.

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ݁⠀⠀،،⠀⠀메모 ! ㅤ⸻ㅤ More than history, it's something that occurred to me while I was reading @petalsscribbles's smau.︐⠀📍⠀

⠀𝒊. ⠀─⠀ All credits to @angelsfat3 / @foschiamara⠀𝄒

. . . ₍⠀아이디어 !ㅤ⸻ㅤI'm very short of ideas lately, so feel free to leave me any requests! <⁠(⁠￣⁠︶⁠￣⁠)⁠>⠀₎⠀ ִֶָ

˖⠀⠀ ݁⠀©⠀،،⠀If you liked it you can like, follow me or reblog!!

[save-a-forest-ride-a-bear]

Heya!!

So I'm a little obsessed with the secret relationship trope... i was wondering if you could do an Astarion x reader secret relationship but maybe during a fight, reader dies and has to be revivified? And Astarion freaks out, like he goes semiferal and histerical?

Maybe it could be during the fight with his siblings at camp so now Cazador knows he has someone he holds dear (even if Astarion doesn't want to admit it yet) which is what they were trying to avoid?

Thank you so much!!!!

🗒 ꒰⸝⸝₊ All I Want ❛ ✧

Featuring: Astarion x Reader

Not proofread!

# Notes: I'm not too good with drabbles but I rly like this idea so I decided to try! also no use of "y/n" because I'll be honest I'm not a fan of it lmao

It was his idea to keep the relationship a secret.

He knew how that sounded — like he was ashamed of his partner, like he didn't want anyone to know for the sake of his reputation. That wasn't true, and he assured them of it. It was simply a precaution, something to protect them both. Now that they arrived at Baldur's Gate and are closer to Cazador than ever, he couldn't take any chances. Not when it came to them, at least.

He wasn't used to this — caring about someone other than himself. It was always about his survival, but now he had someone else to worry about. Someone whose life was worth a lot more than his own. Someone he couldn't afford to lose.

So, he kept it a secret. It wasn't exactly easy to go about their day pretending to be nothing more than companions, friends at most. Ever since they got together, he realized just how starved he was for any kind of attention, any kind of affection. Having to refrain from touching them too much or being his usual, flirty self hasn't been a simple feat. But he knew how important it was that they kept things under wraps.

His feet were killing him after a long day of adventuring, from Wyrm's Crossing all the way to the Lower City. At least they managed to avoid some confrontation for today, so he had one less thing to complain about. They got settled in an inn and he managed to sneak out for a few seconds with his partner to at least get a good night's kiss. He wanted more, but knew that would have to suffice.

The others had already fallen asleep, but he remained tossing and turning. Something felt off. He wasn't sure what, but his nerves were on end, like his fight or flight response had picked up on something he himself hadn't yet. Perhaps that was for the best, as it allowed him to notice the sound of footsteps early enough to stand up and grab a dagger. His hand shook slightly, wrapped around the handle of the weapon as two familiar faces walked in. He felt sick. He knew what they were here to do.

"Get the hells away from me!" It wasn't quite a yell, but definitely loud enough to wake the others. He instinctively took a few steps back, trying to maintain a distance far enough to deceive his brain into believing that he was somewhat safe. "Peace, brother. We're here to take you home." Aurelia uttered somewhat gently, but it almost made him puke. Brother. Home. Just the notion of it made him dizzy with disgust. The Szarr Palace wasn't his home, and these goons were not his family — he was tired of playing along with this fucked up game of pretend.

It didn't take long for a fight to break out, despite his attempts at deception. He should've known Cazador wouldn't let him off easy. Karlach was the first to react, letting out a guttural scream of rage as she charged at Violet. The axe cut through flesh before the spawn could realize what was happening, getting stuck where it met bone. She screamed, but was soon silenced by another blow. While it was supposed to be lethal, she simply vanished into a cloud of black smoke instead of dropping dead on the ground.

Leon was next, aiming for the person who was closest to where he stood which, to Astarion's despair, happened to be his darling. The spawn's claws slashed their skin open, blood splattering on the floor as they yelped in pain. Astarion didn't think — he simply acted, pouncing on Leon only to drive his dagger through his heart one, two, three times, until he too vanished into thin air. He snapped his head back in their direction just in time to see Yousen sneaking up, grabbing them from behind and sinking his teeth into their neck. The scream, the way their eyes squeezed shut in agony and their hands clawed against the spawn holding them still was enough to make Astarion see red.

He hardly remembered moving. But he did remember the screams. Not from his darling, but from his brother, as he drove the dagger into the side of his neck and twisted it. He looked back at his lover again, but the dark cloud from Yousen obscured his vision. He didn't hear screaming anymore. Only his ears ringing slightly and the sound of laboured breathing from his companions.

When he could finally see again, he almost wished he couldn't. That'd be better than the sight of his beloved's body sprawled out on the floor atop a pool of blood, their empty, cold eyes gazing into his soul. He rushed to their side despite his shaking legs, stumbling on his way there until he fell to his knees beside them. He raised their head by the back of their neck, resting it on top of his thigh. He hardly realized he was hyperventilating, hands shaking violently as he cradled one of their cheeks in his palm. "No, no... You can't die. Wake up, damn it!" He choked out, his voice rising from a whisper full of disbelief to a screech of the utmost despair.

Karlach too rushed to their side, fumbling with her bag with quivering hands. "H-Hold on, soldier, I think..." She stuttered out nervously before cutting herself off as she pulled a scroll of revivify from the bag. She knelt next to the two and placed the parchment atop the corpse's chest. It glowed a bright white light, seemingly seeping into their skin. There was a deafening silence for a few seconds when suddenly, they woke up with a loud gasp, eyes widening as life was brought back into their being.

The pale elf didn't waste a second before pulling them into a hug, not minding the blood staining his clothes. He hid his face in the crook of their neck, only a small sob and whisper being heard from him. "Oh, thank the gods... Please, please never do that again..." He choked out before pulling away from the embrace, cupping their cheek and pressing his lips against theirs. He never felt that before. That immense sense of hopelessness, agony and grief. Not to this level, not of this kind — and he'd make sure he never felt it again.

However, as he pulled away from the kiss, he saw something in the distance. Aurelia, bleeding out on the ground, watching them seconds before she too vanished into the darkness. If he still had a heart, it would have skipped a beat out of sheer terror alone. Cazador knew. He knew about his spawn's newfound love. And Astarion would have to be a fool not to expect his master to take advantage of that fact.

[dragonagecompanions]

Dragon Age: Inquisition. Companions react to romanced companion and Inquisitor's child getting hit on in front of them. (ex. Dorian and Inquisitor's adopted child, Sera and Inquisitor's adopted child, Cullen and Inquisitor's child, etc.)

Cassandra:

She is torn between the protective rush of a mother whose child needs a shield and sword to protect them from the world, and the romantic rush of young love playing out before them. Her beloved's gently guiding hand lets the second instinct win the day, but there is no question that her child's admirer is met with the image of the Lady Seeker and Herald of Andraste in the distance watching their every move.

It is a very honorable exchange.

Solas: As he does not love the inquisitor enough to contemplate a family, he is not gifted the benefits of protecting one.

Blackwall: Thom Rainier was a feckless and faithless young man, and Blackwall has no intentions of his child being exposed to anything like that. The proverbial papa bear, such exchanges are cut short by a firm hand and a conversation on just what exactly this vagabond (no matter their birth or station) thinks they are about.

It will take the work of someone serious in their intent to get past those shields, but he will respect a sincere effort.

Dorian: The victim and recipient of some early flirting attempts of his own once upon a time, Magister Pavus constrains himself to simply listening around the corner with his amatus-- both to cringe together at the early attempts at young love and to keep their very precious child from any true harm. His attitude is jovial, their whispered remembrances of the first steps their own love in Skyhold took a loving memory between them.

And in the hand kept behind his back no one else will ever see the corrosive fire kept in check, in case this suitor takes even a step out of line towards the heir of House Pavus and the child he had never even dared hope for.

Iron Bull: Like Dorian he knows his way around some awkward flirting, and is generally content to let young people figure things out for themselves as long as they are safe and boundaries are respected.

It's the Chargers this young upstart needs to be afraid of.

Sera: Ha, knob wants to make kissy faces at her little love, they've got arrows and pies and all kind of shite coming their way! No it doesn't matter that if they hadn't flirted on their own she wouldn't have her herald, thats not the point! Arrows! Pies! No one talking to her child!

Thankfully both child and wife know Sera well enough to lure the argument away, and so by the time Red Jenny turns on the admirer both they and the object of their affection have scattered. This means words, 'quisitor.

Cullen: Maker's breathe, no. Assemble the armies of Skyhold, his child will not be pursuing a romance until they are forty!

Josephine: Before the day is over she knows their lineage, their parentage, how they take their tea and the worst secrets in their family for four generations.

Let them have their moment, if that moment is respectful and honorable. If not, divine or otherwise Leliana will have a situation to handle.

Mod Fereldone

[jules-writes-stories]

Just Enough Light to Cast Shadows

Azriel x Eris

Chapter 21 on AO3

“Why did you ask for Nesta’s hand in the Hewn City that night? Even knowing you were mated to Azriel?” Cassian asked the question with open curiosity, but underneath was the inevitable edge of possession that came with any mating bond. 

Eris sighed, wondering how honest he should be with the Night Court general. They were allies, yet he could not leave and was accused of possibly breaking their laws. 

So, the viper chose what he knew best: half-truths. “I simply did what Rhysand expected of me. And I wanted this alliance.” 

The heir continued, “I considered my options. I need an ally for when I ascend to High Lord. Nesta is powerful, beautiful, and clever. She can play the game. And your High Lord and brother offered her to me on a silver platter. Meanwhile, my mating bond is not…” Eris swallowed and turned to glance out the window again, “is not feasible.” 

“That’s so cold, so calculated.” Cassian shook his head. 

Eris saw the judgment in Cassian's eyes and felt a familiar flicker of flames itching at his palms. He banked it. What this male did not know, the truth that the fireling buried, was that he had felt utterly rejected. He’d grown tired of being Azriel’s dirty secret, a mate that this family would revile, one to elicit pity from the Shadowsinger’s friends. And in a moment of loneliness, of scheming, Eris had wondered if there could be a genuine camaraderie between himself and Nesta Archeron, a chance at true companionship between equals.

“Perhaps general. But no more so than your best friend and brother using your mate as a cheap enticement. At least my proposal was in earnest. I offered Nesta a position of honor, power, and protection. Rhysand waggled her before me like a piece of meat, only to pull her away.” Autumn’s prince watched as his words sank in and struck something raw. He had no desire to come between the Illyrian brothers, nor sow discord within their Inner Circle, but he was tired of being the Night Court's villain and puppet. 

“Besides,” Eris sauntered over and sat across from Cassian. He lounged in a way that made his lithe body appear predatory, ready to pounce, and murmured, “The joke is on all of you. I’m not even attracted to females. The marriage would have been in name only.” 

The fireling looked straight at the Night Court general and sighed. “I also had no idea you were interested in her like that. At least, not until you made it very known with your grunting and your stink.” 

Cassian ground his teeth, ready to interject, when Eris conceded, “And I was distracted as well.” 

The Autumn male smiled earnestly at the memory of Cassian, feral with jealousy in the early throes of a mating bond, stalking them all over the dance floor. How uncharacteristically oblivious Eris was initially due to his own Illyrian mate, whose eyes he kept trying to meet. What a disaster that night had been.  

Cassian must have relived similar memories as he shook his head and chuckled. “Nes still refers to you as her best dance partner, but claims she could smell Azriel all over you and knew you were mates.” The Illyrian laughed then, a loud, raucous sound, at Eris’s face. 

The Autumn male’s skin had flushed at the memory of the Shadowsinger, pushing him into an alcove of the Hewn City just an hour before the Solstice Ball, how he had roughly handled Eris, and how Eris had pulled and scratched and bit him back. They rarely spoke each other’s names in the first years of the bond. Brat, brute, Shadowsinger, fireling…

They'd fucked fast and hard, and usually from behind, in dark corners of the world. It had been a heartbreaking pleasure.

And so different from their recent times together— tasting each other’s lips, watching pleasure unfold in the other’s face, whispering words of praise and affection. This softness between them was so new, so fragile, and now at risk. 

“Azriel believes you.” Cassian’s voice was clear and somber, bringing Eris away from his thoughts.

@the-darkestminds @fieldofdaisiies @c-starstuff-man0 @chunkypossum @futurehunt @talibunny30 @molcat07 @seihdacalling @mistandmemories @unanswered-stars @honeysuckle-daydreams13 @going-through-shit @yanny-77 @lilah-asteria

[endwalkin]

(tom blyth, twenty seven, cis man, he/him) you do not know me but rest assured i know you, MISTER CORNELIUS THORPE. you are the WARD TO LORD THORPE. you maybe be known for your POISE but it is only a mask for the true nature of your NAIVE ways. however, i am not here to spread slander on the queen’s jewels, though i suspect you are her MORGANITE. the ton says your name reminds them of EYES HOLDING THE GENTLE SADNESS OF A LAMB LEFT BEHIND, A MARIONETTE IN VELVET GLOVES PULLED BY THE STRINGS OF EXPECTATION AND FEAR DANCING FOR AFFECTION THAT IS NEVER QUITE AT YOUR GRASP, YOUR EVERY ACCOMPLISHMENT BEING A PLEA FOR LOVE, ALWAYS HOLLOW WITH THE ACHE OF SOLITUDE. how scandalous! you have been warned, dear reader, that i will prove if this is true and share every last detail.

THE BASICS ;

full name: cornelius thorpe

aliases: cor, cori, little cherub

age: 27

occupation: amateur musician (string instruments), private tutor

relationship status: single

sexual orientation: pansexual

birthplace: london, england

languages: english, french, italian, some small extent of latin and greek (don't ask him to hold a conversation with this language)

EXTRAS ;

height: 5'11

build: toned, slim

hair color: light blond curls

eye color: sapphire blue

scent: lavender water

identifying marks: n/a

habits: turning at his signet ring when nervous or deep in thought, pausing before answering questions, humming to himself when alone

THE STORY SO FAR ; tw: murder, miscarriage

You were born alone, a single pearl in a velvet-lined box, polished and precious but always solitary. Your parents, ever attentive, saw to it that your needs were met with a kind of anxious perfection-silk sheets, sweetmeats, the finest tutors, and the softest lullabies. Yet, even as a child, you sensed the emptiness that lingered in the grand halls and shadowed parlors of your family’s estate.

You remember, too, the times your mother’s belly swelled with hope, the whispered promises of a sibling to share your world. Each time, hope turned to heartbreak, and you learned to read the storm in your parents’ eyes-their anger, their disappointment, their silent accusation that you, somehow, were not enough. The weight of their expectations pressed upon your shoulders like a mantle you could never quite shrug off.

Refinement was their creed, and you its living testament. Your father, an aristocrat whose reputation gleamed like a polished signet ring, taught you the importance of appearances. And so, they sheltered you, kept you away from the rough edges of life, from the laughter of common children, from anything that might tarnish the Thorpe name. But in the quiet, you wondered: must a life so carefully curated always feel so lonely?

You became a prodigy of solitude. By your late teens, you could converse in French and Italian, recite Virgil, and coax heartbreak from the strings of a violin. You were a young man of enviable skill, yet your companions were your studies and your music, the only friends who never left you wanting.

Then, like a swan gliding into a still pond, a new maid arrived, young and bright-eyed, unafraid to laugh in your presence. She saw you not as a scion of the Thorpe line, but as Cornelius, a lonely boy with nimble fingers and a heart full of longing. For the first time, you felt seen, and the ache of isolation softened into something sweet and dangerous.

Love, when it came, was a secret sonata played in the shadows. You dreamed together of escape, of a life unbound by gilded cages. In your desperation, you hatched a reckless plan: she would take what she could from your parents' valuables, sell them, and together you would vanish into a world of your own making. But fate, as ever, was unkind.

On that night, how it haunts you still, a confrontation erupted, words became shouts, shouts became violence. When the blood settled, your parents and the girl you loved lay lifeless. They called it self-defense, a maid’s madness, a noble family’s fall. But you knew the truth: it was your scheme, your longing, your loneliness that had set the tragedy in motion.

Your uncle took you in, the scandal hushed but never forgotten. To the world, you were the orphaned heir, the victim of a servant’s betrayal. In the dark, you were something else: an architect of ruin, a boy who had wanted too much.

Now, you live among cousins and strangers, your days measured out in lessons and rehearsals. You teach music to children who do not know your story, your fingers dancing over strings as if they might pluck forgiveness from the air. The guilt is a silent partner, pressing close, leaving you breathless in the quiet hours. But you play on, because music is all you have ever truly known, and in its embrace, you can almost forget the weight of what you have lost.

TL;DR: only child from a wealthy family in london. lonely and sheltered, literally can't hang out with the cool kids. falls in love with a maid, schemes to steal valuables from his parents so they can run away with that money. results in parents and his beloved dying. It's essentially his fault as the grand schemer, but he can't quite accept it. also, no one really knows that's what happened, so it haunts him. now lives with his uncle and cousins.

[problemswithbooks]

Dreamwalking, and Inntinnsic Signets

With the release of Onyx Storm, we now know what Violet's second Signet is--Dreamwalking. In and of itself, I have no problem with this ability. I'm mildly concerned with how Yarros will treat it moving forward, twisting it into something very OP in later books, but as of how it works in Onyx Storm it's fine.

No, the issue I have with Dreamwalking is how it ties back into the poorly handled 'inntinnsic' Signet category; for you see, somehow Dreamwalking is inntinnsic.

As of Iron Flame, inntinnsic, as a category, simply doesn't make any sense.

When we were first introduced to the concept of an inntinnsic, it seemed to only apply to those whose ability gave them the power to actively read minds without touch. These users are killed ASAP due to Navarre's desire to keep Venin secret from any but the most powerful. Despite some critics nit-picks I didn't find this practice unrealistic/stupid. Trusting an untrained cadet, who can read minds without any sort of tell, to keep national secrets would be ludicrous.

But then Iron Flame complicates things.

Xaden turns out to be inntinnsic--the problem is that he doesn't actually read minds. Instead, he essentially has a 'vibe' checking power. How it works is kept very vague, with a broad application, since he can seemingly tell if someone is telling the truth, detect their planed movements in one-on-one combat, and gauge a crowds' reaction to his words. The only thing we know for sure is that he is not reading individual thoughts.

Another issue is that Iron Flame introduced people who had Signets that turned them into lie detectors. From what I can recall, these people did not have to touch others for their power to work. Similar to Xaden, they simply can tell when the vibes of someone's statements are off when they lie. These people are not considered inntinnsic, even though they'd have just as much ability to suss out if their superior officers were lying to them as much as Xaden would.

Why is Xaden's power inntinnsic, but theirs were not?

Then we get the Fliers, who seemingly use 'mind-work'. The only example we have is Cat, who can, without physical contact, heighten people's emotions. To do so she must be able to detect the emotions of those around her, which would give her a similar, if a bit weaker, 'vibe' check ability to Xaden's. Yet she is not inntinnsic, nor any of the other Fliers' 'mind-work' abilities.

Now, with Onyx Storm, Violet is given an inntinnsic Signet of her own. The problem is that it makes even less sense than Xaden's to be categorized as such. From what we've seen of how her ability works, Violet enters a pre-established dream/nightmare. From there, she can affect how it plays out. Later, she may be able to create someone's dream herself.

How is that an inntinnsic ability? Or to put it another way, why would the higher-ups kill her for it? In fact, why would even the traditional inntinnsics be killed at all now that Navarre's secret is out?

First off, dreams are not always accurate. They don't always show the truth. We see this in the book itself. Neither Xaden or Maren's nightmares are true to life. We see what scares them, which could possibly be advantageous for blackmail, but it's not as if someone's fears are particularly difficult to find out. Of course Maren wouldn't want to lose the picture of her family she loves; of course Xaden is afraid of losing to a Sage. Violet didn't need her dream ability to figure out how to blackmail the man Xaden's mom is married too.

At best, it'd be a good power to use to possibly prevent an enemy from sleeping--constantly giving them nightmares when they tried to sleep. Though even then it seems difficult because Violet needs to be asleep herself, and from a distance she'd simply have to guess when they might be asleep.

Dreamwalking in no way would 100% lead to the user finding out about the Venin secret Navarre was so desperate to keep. Venin were not unknown to people in Navarre--they were simply seen as the boogeyman. It wouldn't be a huge red flag if a Dreamwalker stumbled into, say, Lilith's nightmare of being killed by Venin. It might be weird if every superior officer had a nightmare about Veinin, but that in no way confirms the lies they've told.

This leads to the question as to why Navarre still has the zero inntinnsic policy? Or at least that seems to be the case since Xaden says they'd kill Violet if they found out it (which makes 0 sense because it'd kill Tairn, his mate, Xaden and possibly Andarna--all of their biggest assets, during a world ending war).

Yes, a traditional Fourth Wing inntinnsic would be a huge privacy issue even with their secret out in the open, but given people can shield and they're in an epic war for their very lives, and losing, you'd think even a mind reader would be kept alive due to their usefulness. A Dreamwalker and an Intention reader, would be easy-peasy to work around, particularly when both are your strongest weapons. Especially when you've already been working with Truth Detectors, and Emotion Manipulators--one of whom is a former enemy, without killing them.

I find the whole inntinnsic thing to be such a big issue because it's clear Yarros is simply applying the label to her main characters for added drama/tension. It does not jive with the rest of the world building to claim Dreamwalking and Intention reading are inntinnsic, but what Cat does isn't, nor are the people who worked with Violet's torturer.

I don't think either of them needed their second signets to be classified as inntinnsic. They can still choose to hide them because it's an advantage to keep them secret. I mean, it turns out a bunch of the Marked Ones are hiding second Signets themselves, so why do Xaden and Violet need extra drama tacked on to their second powers.

Part of me wonders if in an earlier idea or draft of the story Xaden was going to be a traditional inntinnsic, but Yarros scrapped it because it would make him look bad (and also just be Edward Cullen 2.0). It would be far harder for Violet to believably forgive Xaden for reading her thoughts, than it is for her to forgive him for checking if she had trustworthy vibes. Especially when she completely turned on Dain for the same thing.

Meanwhile, Dreamwalking was added as an inntinnsic ability because it puts them on equal footing--now Violet has a forbidden power too, and she was using it on Xaden without realizing. It also makes it seem a far more powerful power than it realistically should be. Again, dreams aren't reliable sources of info, and unless Yarros adds something onto the ability--like being able to alter people's personalities or keep them asleep, it's not as groundbreaking of a power, like, say, Aaric's future sight.

[rissi-chan]

Get to know your Tav

My favorite "Tav," Neri whose file i have played through almost twice now. She is based off of my Kalashtar Runechild Sorcerer from our Curse of Strahd Campaign

Neri (she/her) | No last name/No memory of a last name | Half Drow | Wild Magic Sorcerer | Dark Urge (Redemption Path)

(Yes she runs around Faerun topless)

What is your Tav’s…

favorite weapon: She carries a staff, but prefers to use her hands for spells—the connection to her magic feels stronger that way

style of combat: Cautious and precise, unless there is an immediate threat to one of her companions—all bets are off if the squad's lives are on the line.

most prized possession: While she likes to collect things, she tries not to place too much sentimental value on objects. At the end of the day the memories that are tied to the objects are what she cherishes above all else.

deepest desire: Contentment. Peace. Happiness.

guilty pleasure: Baths. She LOVES bathing and will take any opportunity to sink into a hot, bubbly bath or fresh spring.

best-kept secret: I would say killing Quill, but that seems more like an open secret.

greatest strength: Her mastery over her self. She is a Haunted One, after all. A child of Bhaal, murder incarnate, etc. But her own true nature always shines through.

fatal flaw: Literal child of Bhaal. Also she's a bit reserved to be placed in a leadership role, but she handles confrontations calmly and charismatically.

favorite smell: Incense—sandalwood and jasmine specifically—and gardens just after rain.

favorite spell or cantrip: Shatter, for sure. She loves the rumbling deep in her chest, up the back of her neck and spreads through her skull when she casts it.

pet peeve: Not being heard. She may not be the most talkative person, but when she says she has disturbing urges it's imperative that she's taken seriously.

bad habit: Like most Tavs, she is a packrat bordering on hoarder. She is definitely the type to collect useless but adorable trinkets, figures, and knickknacks only to realize she has far too little strength to carry them all in her overstuffed pack.

hidden talent: Since she is based on my Kalashtar, she also has a deep intuition/empathy/compassion for other people—which is very much in conflict with the Dark Urge—and a strong connection to the plane of dreams (though the only dreams she has herself are nightmares inflicted by Bhaal).

leisure activity: She definitely does some form of meditative stretching, like yoga (whatever the Faerunian equivalent would be). It relaxes her body and mind and keeps her reflexes sharp.

favorite drink: Upon waking up from her brain scramble and joining with her companions, she comes to realize that she loves tea. Something lightly floral, with a drop of cream. Hot and calming. Gale brews it the best, of course.

comfort food: Something similar to kitsune udon (whatever the Faerunian equivalent would be). Warm, comforting, filling, umami . . . She definitely slurps her noodles.

favorite person: Gale. After waking up on the nautiloid, her magic was the only part of her she wanted to embrace, and Gale being a lover and user of magic himself, she instantly lit up upon meeting him.

favored display of affection: Sincere words, coupled with intense eye contact and soft touches. When Gale says "I love you" while staring into her eyes and brushing her cheek with the back of his hand, she could honestly dissolve on the spot and her wild magic might make that possible

fondest childhood memory: None. Bhaal consumed her childhood, and she is thankful for her memory loss.

[aifanfictions]

do a story about Alucard (from the anime Hellsing, do not mention the name of the anime) and (y/n) who is also a vampire. Alucard constantly bothers and makes fun of (y/n) so she thinkgs he hates her, when in fact it's his way of getting her attention because he has feelings for (y/n) but doesn't know how to express them.

Whispers of Darkness

Amidst the realm where the night reigned supreme and the shadows whispered ancient secrets, Alucard, the immortal king of darkness, found himself entwined in an intricate tale involving another vampire, (Y/N). Their encounters were riddled with a peculiar and enigmatic dynamic, an amalgamation of jests and teasing, leaving both ensnared in a complex dance of emotions.

(Y/N), a vampire whose ethereal presence had caught the attention of Alucard, frequently found herself entangled in the enigmatic web of his provocative jests. His taunts, tinged with sarcasm and veiled mockery, were delivered with such precision that they cut deeper than any blade, leaving (Y/N) in a state of emotional confusion.

For Alucard, his teasing was a facade, an intricate defense mechanism to mask the raw vulnerability buried within his heart. His true emotions for (Y/N) remained an enigma, and in his inability to articulate his feelings, he resorted to a shield of relentless mockery. The more he teased, the more it became a veil to protect himself from the uncertainties of vulnerability.

But each jibe he directed at (Y/N) was like a sharp thorn piercing his own heart. His feelings, a tangled mess of unspoken emotions, became a silent plea for her attention and understanding.

(Y/N), however, was caught in the whirlwind of emotions that Alucard's behavior invoked. She couldn't decipher the fine line between his jests and genuine disdain. Her attraction toward Alucard was entangled with the hurt caused by his relentless mockery, a confusion that twisted her emotions in ways she struggled to comprehend.

Despite the ache caused by Alucard's words, (Y/N) remained drawn to the allure of his enigmatic darkness. She couldn’t help but be captivated by his intriguing presence, a draw that tugged at her heartstrings amidst the storm of his teasing.

Their tale of emotions and unspoken sentiments continued, a web of push and pull that kept them entwined in an intricate dance. Alucard's heart was in a constant state of turmoil, his unspoken affections wrapped in layers of banter, while (Y/N) remained caught between the allure of his enigma and the pain his words inflicted.

In the stillness of the night, beneath the darkened skies that often concealed their fragile emotions, a moment of fleeting understanding emerged. As their eyes met in an unguarded instant, a silent yet profound realization passed between them. It was a moment of silent connection, a glimpse of mutual understanding that transcended the labyrinth of their emotions.

For Alucard, that fleeting moment brought a glimmer of hope. It was a subtle revelation that perhaps, in those unspoken exchanges, (Y/N) might decipher the emotions he concealed beneath his jests.

And for (Y/N), it was a whispered realization. A subtle understanding that beneath Alucard's facade of mockery lay a vulnerability he couldn’t express.

Their story, a mosaic of emotions concealed in the obsidian embrace of the night, was an enigma waiting to be unraveled. In the tapestry of their unspoken affection, love remained a hidden secret, nestled in the depths of their labyrinthine emotions, waiting for the day when they would decode each other's hearts and bridge the chasm that separated them.

NOTE! This story was generated by OpenAI

[power-chords]

The Observatory John Hollander, 1957

How vainly open eyes amaze Themselves with the synoptic gaze! And cloud the mediant air between The image and the object seen, Whose public face may never ask The one behind it to unmask. Better to see, I made my home This dark eye, a transparent dome.

To pierce with pools of mental light The pudency that shades the night, I turn my stare on hidden suns, Forbidden constellations; Each planet spinning in her niche; And bright elliptic visions which No intervening prospect mars: The winking habits of the stars.

Thus I, crazy astronomer, Whose heavens are this earth confer Among my lenses with the few Who sought for the forbidden view: Sweet Insight's Martyrs! each displays The Keyhole, emblem of his praise, Unlocked by only those who try The fitting key, the peering eye.

Where Privacy was put to rout Actaeon peeped true beauty out; Lot's wife risked all that she might know What salt had lost its savor so; Tom's blind eyes clasped, without remorse, Chaste whiteness straddled on a horse, And Orpheus turned about to see His noumenal Eurydice.

Ah, what a life with them I led! Bright data danced inside my head; By brambles, where I used to lie, Endangering the naked eye, I sped my floating sight to drift Round Sandra standing in her shift, To seize a patch of pink and white Undifferentiated light:

My mother's opera-glass laid bare The sensibilia lurking there, Sharp images that should have kept Secret the Things in which they slept; Like crystal thoughts that hidden dwell Within the gem's deceptive shell, Or mild affections, unbetrayed By the dark face of a dark shade.

Such innocency as was mine When, clinging to my neighbor's vine, I learned that all but blinding lies Are interdicted from the eyes, Infused our former State, where turned Two heavenly bodies; as each burned The other took his light therefrom: A perfect Planetarium!

The Beautiful, the virtuous Mean Were then permitted to be seen Before false opened eyes effaced Those bright inscriptions with distaste; And letters which enclosed the True By clothes were folded out of view, Whose blind impress upon the seal Made the apparent the unreal.

I, in my glassy Paradise, With fading sight anatomize The figures of the world, and trope As rod and staff, my telescope, Awaiting the descent of night When I shall read the darkened light Behind day's unperceiving pall; While seeing nothing, knowing all.

[im-out-of-it]

season 2, episode 2 “a door into the dark” also this is sort of long

1. “the law is hard but it is the law” does this shit extend to shadowhunters who murder any downworlders they so please and allow them to get away with it????

2. oh so because some downworlders can multiply and shadowhunters can’t?????? Valentine has to go do something about it??????? someone do the math because more downworlders are probably dying. if shadowhunters die, it’s because either they aren’t prepared for battle, they go into battle stupid thinking they can overtake their enemies. y’all can literally procreate and create as many shadowhunters as y’all want

3. “you could have portaled me to the clave, but did you?” LITERALLY VALENTINE IS SAYING THE SAME SHIT I WAS. Jace didn’t surrender to the clave, he didn’t send Valentine to the clave, and he’s chosen to leave with Valentine TWICE. Valentine wasn’t torturing jace in episode 13 of season one and forcing him to leave. JACE CHOSE TO LEAVE in case he was “bad” or whatever

4. like you don’t just join a villain because you think there’s something terrible inside of you. you stop your whining, work on yourself, and try to better yourself. I can sympathize with someone who is having an identity crisis but not with Jace. he never thinks about how his actions affect everyone else until it’s too late. Alec as of this next episode has almost died twice trying to protect jace and also requested him for help

5. I mean she literally hid that you’re a shadowhunter for 17 years while being on the run so is Jocelyn’s actions that shocking????? I’m just saying clary doesn’t know her mother AT ALL

6. yes and I applaud her for it. just let that ungrateful bastard die and stay dead

7. “there’s so much you don’t know.” “oh and whose fault is that?” I mean clary has a point. Jocelyn kept so many secrets and expected clary to be okay with it

8. now y’all got me defending clary fucking hell

9. “I’m a victim here too, we all are.”-jocelyn. oh how I love when people call themselves victims so you’ll try to feel bad for them lmao if you’re for real a victim, I stand with you but there’s something about someone pulling that shit so you feel pity for them makes me feel uneasy. Jocelyn is such a pick me girl and feel bad for me please girl

10. enter demon flower killing child

11. Jocelyn was right about the being the evil part

12. “your brother would only leave death and destruction”- well Jocelyn was also right about this as well. it’s funny how they tried to make jace “the good person” but he’s not. he’s selfish, conceited, and always does whatever he wants. he may not be who Jocelyn is referring to but jace is not a good person. I don’t even think he has the capability to change and be better. he’s constantly going to think about what he wants

13. Simon: I don’t get paid enough for this

14. ah shit, Raphael will be coming for your ass and not in a good way

15. I feel for Alec because he was close to getting jace back and he’s lost him again. I don’t like jace and I wish alec wasn’t so hung up on the idea of losing him but it makes me sad for Alec

16. Alec showdown part 3 (GO OFF KING 🔥)

17. MY BOY ATE DELIVERED CONQUERED AND LEFT NO DUST

18. okay though, what did he say that wasn’t true? Izzy was almost deruned because jace and clary left with the cup because they thought they knew better. Alec constantly saved clary’s ass just to get her mother back and he took the blame, as well as the treatment from Maryse and jace. Alec has had nothing but problems since clary arrived and I haven’t really seen her think through the consequences of her actions. Alec has had to deal with all of the consequences. Alec has every right to be upset and clary being like he’s my brother too but you haven’t spent the last ten years knowing him.

19. whatever bond Alec and jace have, it started ten years ago. clary meets jace for a few days and automatically think she knows him better than Alec does. and “I’m not my mother” but yet you create problems while you have other people take care of them? and I never once saw clary talk to Izzy or apologize after Izzy was almost deruned. the Lightwood family but mainly Alec paid for the consequences for her actions. yeah saying I’m not my mother but Magnus calling Jocelyn out for the same behavior Alec does just feels right.

20. Alec said what he said and he meant what he said and he did not fucking stutter and he will say it again

21. oh Alec made clary cry but guess we are even because clary almost ruined Alec’s whole family. Izzy almost loses being a shadowhunter, the lightwoods reputation was tarnished for a while, alec gets an arranged marriage, and then has to deal with all the emotional turmoil of that AND he loses jace (which means nothing to me) so yes clary is to blame for a lot of that but jace deserves the blame just as much.

28. let’s be fair, we aren’t close to being even

29. “your lack of training is a liability”-now you got me agreeing with aldertree fucking hell

30. Alec: there’s no place for you here. what I’ve been saying since the first episode

31. cue sad music so clary can go and pity herself 🙄

32. finally clary says something true and Izzy is being supportive as always

33. ok leave then lmao

34. I mean, clary isn’t a good shadowhunter. someone who only thinks about themselves and puts everyone else in danger shouldn’t be a shadowhunter (Alec is like we don’t need you bye bitch)

35. and if she wants to be a shadowhunter, she needs to go through extensive training and get a new personality and brain (and I’ll never understand how she’s a leader in the books. but then again, clary is CC’s self insert so it does make sense in a way)

36. aw Simon just got told off poor soul but it’s about to get worse and I have a feeling Simon would rather face the wolves

37. Simon, ya just fucked up

38. honestly it looks like Valentine is running more of a zoo than some group of people

39. Valentine: im asking for humanity. while you go out and kill innocent people????? honestly he should be have’s father because they’re alike in many ways.

40. jocelyn is all like omg clary ran away! where did she learn that from??????

41. Alec: there is only one person who calls me that and you are not him

41. Izzy is amused but Alec is not having it 😭 but this will make it better lmao

42. Alec: I’ve never been prouder of my little sis

43. Simon has asked for Magnus’s help because let’s be honest, he can’t find Camille on his own

44. Simon: I hate this

45. Magnus: have you met Camille? (I also love his face here)

46. but Magnus is open to helping Simon (and he’s going to be having a big day helping and saving people)

47. for a price (sorry it’s not free Simon, you’re not Alexander) (also Magnus looks pretty)

48. Simon: BUT MY JUNK MAGNUS

49. I love how helpful and kind Magnus is. Simon went through the vampire transformation before he was changed alone and then he sort of had Raphael’s help after he changed as well as Luke’s. Clary wasn’t there for him much which to be fair, he didn’t want to kill her and control his thirst more- (I wouldn’t have faulted him for it) but before he was a vampire, clary wasn’t there for him. but Magnus is here for him and willing to aid Simon and I think that’s thoughtful. Magnus and simons friendship is another one of my favorite friendships in the show

and I’ll stop at 50 because that should be easy to remember but there’s like 20 ish minutes left so I’ll start part 2 later today ✨

[songbirdseung]

uncharted melodies / sim jake

synopsis: As two gifted singer-songwriters collaborate on their music, the electrifying chemistry between them sparks an unexpected love affair, challenging their loyalties and convictions when the male lead must confront his existing relationship in the face of this irresistible connection.

In the vibrant heart of Seoul, the members of ENHYPEN were like stars in the night sky, each with their unique shine and charisma. Among them was Sim Jake, the group's talented vocalist, whose voice was a balm to the souls of their fans.

But behind the dazzling performances and the screams of adoring admirers, Jake carried a secret, one he had been carrying for far too long. It was a secret hidden beneath the bright lights of the stage, a truth buried beneath layers of fame and fortune.

And that secret was Y/N.

Y/N was a passionate music producer with dreams as vast as the sky above Seoul. Her days were filled with crafting melodies and lyrics that poured from her heart. But there was one melody that played constantly in the background of her life—a love for Jake that she couldn't escape, a love that felt like a song with verses left unsung.

Their paths first crossed during a music collaboration, an opportunity that brought Jake and Y/N together in a recording studio. As they worked on the project, sparks of chemistry ignited between them, like a harmonious melody that resonated in the air. But the timing was wrong, and Jake was entangled in a high-profile relationship that kept them apart.

Jake couldn't help but feel like he was cheating on his own heart. His relationship with his girlfriend, although filled with affection and history, lacked the same spark that he had felt with Y/N in that recording studio. He found himself yearning for her, craving the uncharted melodies they could create together.

Y/N, too, was struggling with her own feelings. Her heart ached as she watched Jake from afar, his smile on stage concealing the longing in his eyes. She felt like she was cheating herself out of love, settling for a life where the music she created was devoid of the one true love she had ever known.

As the days turned into weeks and then months, Jake and Y/N's connection deepened in secret. They met in hidden corners of the city, stealing moments to share their love for music and each other. Their souls danced to the rhythm of their hearts, and their love was a melody that echoed through the streets of Seoul.

But secrets have a way of unraveling, and their love story was no exception. One fateful night, during a private ENHYPEN gathering, the truth spilled out like an uncontrolled chorus. Jake's girlfriend discovered the affair, and the revelation shattered their relationship.

The aftermath was filled with heartache and tears, but it was also a moment of clarity for Jake. He knew that he couldn't keep cheating on his own heart, and he couldn't let Y/N slip away again.

With a determination that burned brighter than any stage spotlight, Jake stood before Y/N, his voice trembling with sincerity. "I can't live a lie anymore, Y/N. I love you, and I want to be with you."

Y/N, her eyes glistening with tears, nodded. "I've been waiting for you to say that."

Their love was a melody that had finally found its chorus, a song that they would sing together with all their hearts. They faced challenges and obstacles, but their love was like a harmonious blend of vocals, each member of ENHYPEN adding their unique touch to the symphony of their lives.

And as they continued to create music together, they discovered that sometimes, cheating on your own heart was the biggest mistake you could make. But when you found the love that resonated with your soul, it was worth every note of the journey.

[femalepope]

MY DREAM. so I found out my brother was part of this um. Secret magazine whose editing body was located in a building which defied all usual laws of logic, was sentient, and filled with soooo many objects that would appear spontaneously. Ranging from plastic dinosaurs 🦖 🦕 to living stray cats. I found out because occasionally someone would stumble into the building thinking it was a museum and ask for a tour and all the employees would pretend it was just a very odd museum and give the tour. And I stumbled in and I was one of them and I realised something was off because it didn't make sense for a museum to be Like That and the rooms kept growing, shrinking, and disappearing. And then I saw my brother and I was like 🤨 bro fess up. So he told me all about the secret magazine edited and written in this secret building and how it wasn't traditionally sold, but would fly and find people at the right time of their lives. And I was like that sounds sick I want to write/edit for it. I need things for my CV. And he was like ummmm don't be mad but I've actually been stealing your super secret poems and publishing them anonymously in the magazine. I was a bit mad because all these people who were not me were profiting off of my work. because the house found ways of paying its inhabitants/employees. But he was like I'll hire you you can stay. It turned out that EVERYBODY loved my anonymously published poems though they didn't have enough in common for them to realise they were all written by the same person. But people were proper fans. Like they'd have tote bags with the poems written on them and t-shirts and other merch and I'd be like hey!! That's mine!! During my time in the house, I discovered you could manipulate it into adding new rooms you wanted, and not just let it follow its own whims. So I designed some bedrooms (before, if people stayed there overnight, they'd just sleep on the floor and wake up in back pain). Everyone was like "omgggg how did you do that" and I was like "it's not like shaping the fabric of the world around you is hard...." One day I got my payment, kind of: a woman materialised in the building with a kind of pathetic looking cat. And she was like I'm from a pet adoption agency and no-one wants to adopt this cat idk why :( but I've been sent here to give it to you :3 but her tone of voice was very suspicious so I was like there's something you're not telling me... And she was like that's true. So the cat was living with an elderly couple who both died in their sleep. And the cat, having nothing to eat, ate them. It was discovered after months and now no-one wants to adopt it. I was like that's so weird why would no-one want to adopt this kitty it's not its fault... And she was like but it got used to its diet and now it's exclusively a cannibal cat and no-one wants to feed it in accordance with its diet. and i was like you mean this cat still eats human flesh? i can feed it human flesh idc. and she was like no actually it only eats other cats. And this was more troubling to me but I was like. Surely it's a sad fact but many cats die anyway every day and I can find those and feed them to my new cat. So I adopted it. It got used to eating humans alright it KEPT biting me. Not in a painful way, but still - it would latch on with its entire jaw and refuse to let go. But it was how it showed affection and checked if I was still alive as it had anxiety about its owners dying so i tolerated it and showered the cat with love and affection. Even though it tried to bite my fingers off. Also at some point I had a conversation with my brother where I was like bro what is this place sentient magazine building thing. You do stem this isn't like you. Does your girlfriend know about this. And he sighed dramatically and said his girlfriend doesn't know about this, and she also doesn't know that he's secretly in love with a 40 year-old divorce with kids who was in prison for domestic abuse. And I was like ???? And he was like. I could fix them. I wont because I'm loyal to my girlfriend though. And I was like. ???

[marimbles]

From this ask game

The opening passage of The Legend of the Grimwalkers, chapter six, came unhelpfully to his mind:

As beings of both magic and decay, grimwalkers occupied a limbo-like plane of existence, treading the line between life and death, and as such were effectively untethered to witch- and demonkind. Some creators considered themselves a so-called ‘parent’ of their creation, but this was true only in the sense that an inventor is a ‘parent’ to his invention. In biological terms, a grimwalker’s ‘parentage’ may have been credited to any of the parts which comprised its whole. The most logical ‘parent’ was arguably the ortet who provided the genetic pattern for the clone. But even this definition cannot withstand scrutiny, for grimwalkers were, in reality, parentless from conception. They were orphans by nature, bondless and lonely, and any personal connections formed were but a wishful echo born from affection for the original ortet. They walked the earth like a living corpse—a phantom copy of the deceased in whose likeness they were made. For this reason were these creatures called ‘grimwalkers,’ for death clung to their every step.

He’d reread those words obsessively in those first days hiding out at Hexside, wearing out the pages with his dirty fingerprints. A terrible emptiness ate at his stomach, at the very marrow of his bones, and he feared he’d be swallowed up by the cavern of his own hollow chest (although maybe that was partially the result of eating nothing but Hex Mix for days). Flapjack nagged at him to stop—nipping his ears, tugging his hair—but Hunter couldn’t tear his eyes from the yellowed pages, each word stamped like ink into his brain, even now, months later.

If he was not himself, he’d asked, who was he? If he had no one, why should he exist at all? Why was he fighting so hard to live—running away, hiding out, cutting his own puppet strings and praying he still had the legs to stand? What was it all worth, if he was just a ghost? If he was the shadow of a stranger who’d been extinguished like a flame four hundred years ago?

(When he tried to spell out his reasons, all that came to him in answer was the sound of the human’s voice calling his name in the night and the last words that had lit up his lost scroll what felt like a lifetime ago: 49 weeks 🌻)

(He’d decided then that if grimwalkers really did tread the line between life and death—a very wobbly tightrope, in his recent experience—the side he would fall on was life, and he’d just have to brace himself for whatever kind of landing waited for him at the bottom.)

omg!! i'm surprised anyone did this game let alone for this fic! i kind of forgot about this fic tbh haha. but reading this is making it come back to me. i actually really like how this passage turned out so i'm flattered you chose it<3

so this is from ch. 2 of my (currently abandoned) toh wip i wanna tell you (but i don't know how). i started writing this fic after thanks to them aired, and the original idea was to lead up to a cathartic moment soon after they step through the portal, where hunter finally gets closure about the grimwalker thing and it's all addressed and out there and he feels this unconditional love and support from his found family. and i wanted to build up to that with these five moments of connection between hunter and each hex squad member, where he wants to tell them his big secret about being a grimwalker but chickens out. this is from the amity chapter.

writing about hunter and amity's dynamic was an interesting challenge for me because hunter's connections with luz, gus, and willow feel more obvious and more explored in the show. but he doesn't have as much of an individual friendship with amity that we see on screen. so i kept thinking about how they'd connect and how the subject of grimwalkers would come up, at least in hunter's mind, so he'd feel compelled to tell her about it before inevitably backing out. and i thought it was an interesting angle for them to connect over having a difficult relationship with their toxic parental figure who used them for their own selfish, evil purposes—odalia for amity and belos for hunter. and then with the subject of parents/family, hunter is painfully reminded that as a grimwalker, he doesn't actually have a family, and he remembers the existential crisis he went through when he first found out—the crisis he's still trying to work through.

i remember working so hard on that grimwalker book excerpt because i wanted it to feel sort of stilted and archaic, like an old textbook, but also have a certain ring of poetry to it—a haunting and kind of devastating ring. and i also wanted to bring up false assumptions about grimwalkers that hunter could eventually prove wrong about himself—that he isn't destined to be "bondless and lonely" forever, and that he's his own person, and that people can and do love him for himself, and that he isn't doomed or marked for death. that he can love and learn and grow like anyone else, no matter where he came from, and he can have a family of his own making even though he was born without one.

so while he's recalling his time hiding out at hexside obsessing over this idea of being a grimwalker, he's also remembering not just the devastation but the determination. and how he had this drive to fight for himself, and to forge his own path, even thought it was so scary. and how even then he'd begun to form these important connections that proved he was not alone—with luz, who reached out to him during the worst moment of his life, even knowing he was a "monster"; and with willow, who accepted him as part of her team and her friend group even after he made such a big mistake. (the "49 weeks" thing implying that they had regular text communication for a little while and that she was continuing to count down the time till they could see each other again, like how she mentioned in ASIAS as she was leaving that he had 52 weeks till his next day off). and then of course with gus, who's the one who found his hiding spot (although that part is brought up later in the chapter, not this excerpt). and then in the present, he is making a new connection with amity, and building more trust, to the point that he almost spills his secret. and while he's not quite brave enough at that point, he is gathering courage, because of his friends, so he can finally let himself fall off of that proverbial tightrope and trust that he'll fall on the right side and have a soft landing, because he has good people in his corner who will take care of him.

alright well that's my DVD commentary for this passage haha thanks for the question!!

[oaxleaf]

The best way to sum up Basira's relationship with Daisy is that she is nothing more than the idealistic embodiment of what her father failed to emotionally provide for her as a child. She is solid, a "fixed point", someone who exudes clarity in a way Basira never could, someone who was always there for her and who held her back. Her father, however, couldn't stand her crying and sent her into the world unbalanced and defenseless. Daisy liked that she was "soft" to the point that she wanted to preserve it and although that might seem like a beautiful thought it also alienated her and affected her judgment of character and it is a fact that Daisy intentionally kept her ignorant of things. I think it's only fair that while we hold Basira responsible for sustaining Daisy's behavior we also recognize how Daisy selfishly exploited her trust and their relationship in favor of her own fanciful perspective that Basira was what kept her human.

basira's father, however briefly mentioned, is someone i find my mind turning back to every once in a while. i don't think we know enough about him to make any solid judgements, especially since all we know of him is through basira's own words, and she's never been the best at providing a clear and true perception of reality. we don't have all the context to know how her father was. was this a perspective he expressed explicitly to her? if he couldn't stand people whining, was that people such as coworkers or other peers of equal standing, ord did it include his child(ren)? was he dismissive of her emotions as a child? was this something she only saw more of as she got older? i mean, i think our parents are some of the people that are hardest to form an accurate assessment of. still, i think basira had a specific perception of her father and of his philosophy, and that it was something she tried to adopt to her own life

this whole "accept it or change it" idea is probably what made her want to be a cop - to change things - and also what made her such a bad one - turning a blind eye to the deep issues within the force - and i think daisy was always the perfect target to project it onto. daisy kept basira as a loyal partner, as someone who would hold her back and whose back she in turn would also protect. and i think you could be right, that part of why she was so secretive around basira, why basira doesn't actually seem to know anything about her, is that she didn't want to risk loosing that partnership. because whilst they are incredibly codependent, they also don't really know each other as people. and that makes them really fragile. meanwhile, basira willfully does not try to pry further into daisy, even when she sort of peripherally aware of what she's doing, out of fear not only to loose thier partnership but also to compromise her own ideology. because if she's faced head-on with who daisy really is she can't accept it. but she also doesn't want to have to deal with having to do something about it, about having to break their partnership and actually instigate change. so she closes her eyes and avoids the truth at all costs

[ramuneempiremtl]

Slave-kun’s Happy Life in Another World: Chapter 33

There was the sound of Shuza putting down his pen.

"Yeah, I guess this report is okay. Thanks, Daine… Daine?"

"What's wrong? You seem absent-minded."

"…………"

Daine threw himself onto the couch as usual, but he had a slightly troubled expression on his face.

"I saw something crazy."

"Huh? What did you see? Whose?"

"The kid."

"Is something wrong with Owl?"

Daine hesitated on how to explain what he had "seen."

It was a future that they themselves hadn't considered.

He had "seen" the image of that grand prediction racing through Owl's mind.

Or perhaps, he had been "shown" it.

"He… he predicted what that old man is planning…"

"Really? He predicted his intentions? He's quite clever, isn't he?"

"No, it's not like that at all."

Daine sat up and repositioned himself.

"…The hole left by the Cattle Trading Company is huge. An entity that will fill that void will definitely appear. And that 'newly emerging trading company' is likely the old man's main target."

"What do you mean?"

"So, they crushed Cattle and replaced it?"

"That's right. If we were to meet this old man again, he would be standing next to the head of the trading company that started business in place of Cattle in this city… That's the kid's prediction."

"Wow, so does that mean 'powder' will spread in this city again?"

"It's not just that."

This city, Sansa, is the gateway of trade.

If they were to gain control of Sansa through a new trading company, they could extend their influence to the two southern countries and even the capital of this country.

Gradually and steadily manipulating several countries from behind the scenes, they may even obtain control over the world.

The path to world domination.

That was Owl's "prediction," or rather delusion.

It was a terrifyingly ambitious and unreasonable plan, but it didn't seem impossible. Sansa City had already been greatly affected. Their reach had even extended to the branch manager of the Adventurer's Association.

It might already be happening.

"The kid thought that they intentionally refined the 'powder' to have addictive properties. It also served as a means to raise funds and increase pawns. It was an added bonus that weakened national power."

"…………"

"'Powder' is just the trigger. Every city has its secrets. If you can control them, it's as good as having everything. Isn't that right, Aki?"

"That's true. Those in the back alleys are easily manipulated."

Everyone fell silent at Aki's words, who was originally a street urchin.

In this short amount of time, did he really predict all of that? With that round and fluffy reddish-brown head?

Even though he couldn't even read, everyone wondered what was going on in his head.

"Did Owl really think about all of that?"

"Even if I thought about it, would you believe me?"

"Ha… I thought he was shocked by the butler's story."

"He was shocked. But afterwards, his thoughts took a leap in an outrageous direction. He kept repeating to himself, 'This is just a delusion.'"

"But to think it would extend to political influence. Even though he didn't receive any education."

"It's quite an insightful perspective, like those 'shadows of the king.'"

"Even the mighty nation of Cynthia has fallen."

By bringing up a famous tale, Nove implicitly pointed out that "there is nothing impossible in this world."

A sigh escaped from someone's lips without anyone noticing.

"I hope he'll talk to me someday."

"I agree."

There is a world that we don't know.

And surely, that grumpy-faced boy knows it.

This time, we touched a small part of it.

However, there is nothing more we can do about this matter. If we submit a report, this special request will be fulfilled.

We'll just go back to our usual adventurer life.

Smoothly, Aki took out a bottle of alcohol.

"Drink and forget."

"Alright, I'll do that."

"Wait! You can't forget!"

"At least, I want the lord or the 'envoy' to be careful in selecting a new company to join."

"If that's the case, there's a good person. Look, at the appraisal office…"

"It's 150 years old? Where did you get this thing, Aki?"

"I won't tell you. Just drink it."

"Tch, I'll let it slide because of the deliciousness of your snacks."

"Give me some too!"

It would be only a little while before the two who got out of the bath were surprised by the enthusiastic feast that had started as a distraction.

[From the next time, it will be from the protagonist's perspective.]