#{he's my king and i'm his lionheart}

[tiredassmage]

Semi-related, by a companion edition Smuggler!Tyr would be head over heels for the Captain by the end of a romance arc, ngl. You chose a series of nice conversation options with him? Told him you believe in him? That you’ll figure out this crazy galaxy together? You didn’t hold his past against him? Giving you a good grade in gov. assigned blorbo care.

He’s going to melt in your arms. All 6 ft of him. This man is going to fall asleep on your lounge couch. Hope you don’t have any captaining to do for a few hours, you can’t move him now. Cat law. Law of cat asleep in your lap. Do not disturb the sleeping spy.

I’ve been thinking intently about this, in case anyone was curious. My insane idea is to mock up a companion quest series for him. Will I follow through? College will have to determine that, lmao, but it’s on my mind.

Idk, maybe I’m just projecting my “damn bitch don’t you deserve something nice??? Something domestic for a change?” into this au lkfdanslfnds;lf (Hint: Probably am.)

(It’s really damn cute though.)

Look, at bare minimum I should come away with a list of approves/disapproves decisions from the like last third of smuggler. I think it’ll be fun. And maybe a lot more than what I originally planned on getting into, but fuck it, 2023, let’s go, all out.

[one-winged-dreams]

WoW is doing an exp boost for leveling in Pandaria, so I’m going to try to get some more alts to max level before Dragonflight

But I remembered there’s a particular cutscene that plays when you start the MoP storyline and I

[dreaming-of-lu]

I saw requests are open and I wanted to let you know that I really love your writing! Could you do First and/or Twilight with a reader who sings really well but is self conscious about it? Romantic if possible

I tried to do scenarios, but alas, my brain did not wanna work with that, so hope you don't mind hc's! I gotchu chief.

First

~~ Man, oh man, where do I begin with him? I like to think that their music wasn't really much big in lyrics. It's rare to hear to music with words so imagine his surprise when he heard you softly humming tune. Only for it to slowly grow to normal speaking range.

~~ He happens upon your little tunes while you were foraging. He heard a part, something about "In mountains that are stacked with fear, but you're a king and I'm a lionheart." (King and Lionheart by of Monsters and Men)

~~ Not one to interrupt a peaceful air that surrounded your form. He instead, took careful watch behind a tree, closing his eyes, and listening to the serene song that flitted in one ear and out the other.

~~ He wasn't sure how much time had pass, but the shocked gasp had him up on his feet, hand on his sword and swiveling his head in panic.

~~ With no harm in sight, he breathes only to hear your squeak. He froze when his eyes came into contact with yours. Your voice cracked, "how long have you been standing there?" He duck his head with a sheepish smile, "your voice...it sounded lovely."

~~ He doesn't pressure you to sing to him, only whenever you feel comfortable to do so. Though, he does miss hearing your little hums and the different tunes your home made. It definitely sits in his mind to where he's humming it to himself.

~~ it's only when he had a nightmare of old memories that you sung to him in the shared inn bed quietly. He appreciates the distraction and he loves you for it even as you take a step out of your comfort zone. He cherishes the moments like those.

Twilight

~~ I like to think he loves the folk songs more than what others would actually think he would like. While yes, the bittersweet country tunes make him howl, but the folk songs got his heart swelling, foot tapping and swaying his head alongside to it.

~~ It's definitely a late night, he's on watch and you're up due to brain not wanting to knock out for the night. His ear twitches at the soft hums coming from you causing the stress from his shoulders to relax. He loves hearing your voice, even though he wish for you to get some sleep, the other side is definitely soothed that he's not the only one awake.

~~ He's multitasking! "Tossed his copper, and I watched as it fell, but there wasn't any water in the wishing well." (Wishing Well by The Oh Hellos)

~~ That song...is new... he loves the soft tune, so saccharine to his ears. While he doesn't know the lyrics, he follows along eagerly and sighs in bliss, "mighty tune there, darls."

~~ It stops and he freezes, thinking he said something wrong, he backtracks with a wince, "ah! sorry if I-" "How long have you-" "Til I heard you hummin'." "...want me to continue?" "...if you want to, sugar."

~~ The thought of you only singing just for him, only for his ears to hear, makes his heart flutter. He does the dreamy sigh and it got his ancestor wondering what got him all day dreaming. It's both of your shared secret, one that he cherishes.

~~ Would sing with you, but as you can tell, he's not really a pro at it so he'll let you do the singing. He'll hum along or to himself. Dancing while singing? a swing during a upbeat or a slow sway together on a slow one. Lullabies? when he's down, sick or has a nightmare, know just hearing your voice soothes him.

[twilightarc-gm]

hello :D can you tell me why you like chengxian?

A Non-Comprehensive Guide to Twi's Love of ChengXian

Yes I spent time making this edit. I love them and I'm not an artist so sue me.

Short Answer: I love these two self-sacrificing assholes and their aesthetics and I think they should kiss and get a happy ending for once. If MXTX doesn't want to do it, I'll write it instead! 😤

Long Answer: Click the Read More

"As long as we both live in this world, we'll meet sooner or later." -- Vol1 Chap6

👏 MDZS literally doesn't happen without Yunmeng Shuangjie, it doesn't happen without the huge sense of debt and love and envy and pride and duty that comprises everything about the relationship between Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng. They must meet because their stories are so wrapped up in each other that where one ends and the other begins is a blurred line at best.

MXTX put in so much work to separate these two for the happily ever after she wanted and if you think about it too much you start to wonder if the Wei Wuxian we grew to love with this story, that says this kind of line, is ever going to be really happy without Jiang Cheng in his life.

💗It's not incest, but the boys wish it was. I am half-joking about this, but also absolutely serious. The vague labels on their relationship is a very big part of the point!

They are very much the Shixiong/shidi(mei) xianxia/wuxia romance trope. The talented and wonderful shixiong. The shidi(mei) that adores their shixiong but can't be honest about it. Childhood friends to sweethearts. MXTX uses this trope and subverts it by not making it endgame or letting the story just end with the tragedy of the First Siege.

She uses the power of this trope to feed into everything in and around the secret of the Golden Core Transfer. It ends up affecting the entire cultivation world as the greatest token of love, of devotion, of sacrifice, of consequence, of dubious consent, of the crux of the very story itself... which is just incredibly powerful.

And the rest of MDZS flows from that.

He had always thought Jiang Cheng would be the one standing with him, and Lan Wangji against him. He'd never imagined that reality would be the complete opposite.

This is literally errata from vol1 official pg 262 and I swear it wasn't put in the first time because it feeds ChengXian too much. You say that Wei Wuxian thought Jiang Cheng would always be by his side? He couldn't imagine a world where that wasn't true?? That now he's in a reality where it's the opposite??? Omg???? Like this is the sum of the ChengXian tragedy right here because MXTX made a reality where they couldn't be together! 💔😭

Like LOOK!

“When you become the family head, I’ll be your subordinate. We’ll be just like our fathers. Who cares about the Twin Jades of Lan? Our Yunmeng has Twin Heroes! So—just shut up. Who said you’re not worthy of being family head? No one’s allowed to say that, not even you. Say it and you’re asking to get beat.” --Vol3 Chap12

You see for me it's about the strain between love and duty and all the points where those two cross.

My actual favorite romance trope is king/lionheart - lord/devoted - leader/subordinate - patron/agent - master/servant - 知己 (zhiji)

this relationship of knowing is one that is worth dying for

“So when Wei-gongzi returned to seek us out, my jiejie was reluctant to even attempt the procedure, at first. She warned him that writing an essay was one thing, but actually doing it was quite another. She wasn’t even confident she’d have a fifty percent chance of success.

“But Wei-gongzi kept pestering her. He said fifty percent was fine; the chances of success and failure were equal. Even if it didn’t work out and his core was wasted, he wasn’t worried about his future—but that wasn’t the case for Sect Leader Jiang. He was too competitive, too focused on what he stood to gain and lose in this aspect, since cultivation was his life. And if Sect Leader Jiang could only ever be an ordinary, mediocre person, his life would be over.” --Vol4 Chap19

Wei Wuxian was willing to risk his life on a 50% chance if it meant Jiang Cheng would Live. Yes yes Wei Wuxian's patent assholery here about how Jiang Cheng is so competitive etc, classic fooling himself. The point is that Jiang Cheng wouldn't be Jiang Cheng anymore and Wei Wuxian would rather die than experience that. Would rather cut himself apart than fail to protect his shidi.

Speaking of failures...

Perhaps there was this:

“I didn’t get caught by the Wen Clan because I insisted on returning to Lotus Pier to retrieve my parents’ bodies.

“When you went to buy rations in that small town during our escape, a group of Wen cultivators caught up to us.

“I noticed them early and left the spot where I’d been sitting to hide in a corner of the street. I didn’t get caught, but they were patrolling, and they would have surely bumped into you while you were getting us food.

“So I ran out and lured them away.” --Vol5 Chap22

Jiang Cheng never wanted Wei Wuxian to die, let alone die for him. He breaks down at the shrine coming to terms with what he will ultimately think of as his fault. We know this because when he feels at fault he doesn't speak of his good intentions. So, he distracts the Wen-dogs from Wei Wuxian > Gets caught and survives, broken > as far as he knows he's miraculously healed > only to find out that Wei Wuxian was taken by the Wen-dogs anyway 3 months later > Jiang Cheng never speaks of his failures, so will never say how lost his core in the first place > a war and 13 years later he finds out that not only did he fail to protect Wei Wuxian from Wen-dogs, but now also knows unequivocally that Wei Wuxian's descent into heretic cultivation was his fault... again.

As tears streamed down his face, he hissed through gritted teeth, “…Why…why didn’t you tell me?!”

And he begs to know why Wei Wuxian would do this!

“Consider it a repayment of my debt to the Jiangs,” Wei Wuxian added.

Jiang Cheng raised his head and looked at him with bloodshot eyes. “…To my father, my mother, my sister?” he asked in a hoarse voice.

Not him. Wei Wuxian won't admit it's for Jiang Cheng--the shidi he meant to protect as a good shixiong, the master he was meant to support, the heir and symbol of the clan and sect he loved so much he would readily lose a hand to protect.

The way Wei Wuxian tortures Wen Zhuliu by leaving him whole and standing while his charge Wen Chao is torn up bit by bit... The delicious parallels of -- you made me a failure, now see how you like it, watch the one you are meant to protect be torn asunder.

...

Hold on I need a moment...

...

How about some cute stuff?

Wei Wuxian waved him off and then hooked his arm around Jiang Cheng’s shoulders. -- Vol1 Chap4

He put his arm around Jiang Cheng’s shoulders and dragged him over to the veranda railings to sit down.

[...]

Jiang Cheng was quiet, but he seemed to have calmed down a little. Wei Wuxian put an arm around his shoulders again. --Vol3 Chap12

💗Wei Wuxian is always all over the person/s he likes and loves. Jiang Yanli might have been the first to carry Wei Wuxian but Jiang Cheng's were the first shoulders he chose to hang off of. Jiang Cheng stands so straight because he is used to bearing Wei Wuxian's weight! (Also he's of the gentry, and you can make arguments about a rod in places where the sun doesn't shine, but Wei Wuxian benefits regardless!)

Among all the kicks and shoves and rough housing and sparring, they are just so tactile.

Gif from this post.

… Jiang Cheng, walk slower, you’re gonna throw me off.”

Not only did Jiang Cheng want to throw Wei Wuxian off, but he practically wanted to bash his head into the ground to create a human crater. “So fussy even though I’m carrying you!”

“I didn’t tell you to carry me,” Wei Wuxian reasoned.

Jiang Cheng flew into a rage. “If I didn’t carry you, I think you’d hang out at their ancestral hall all day, rolling around on the floor. I can’t afford this embarrassment! Lan Wangji took fifty more strikes than you, but he walked away on his own, and you’re not embarrassed, pretending to be an invalid? I don’t want to carry you anymore. Get the hell off!”

“No, I’m wounded,” Wei Wuxian said. --Vol1 Chap4

💜 Yes I am bringing back this quote from my Jiang Cheng appreciation post.

Hnng, I am trying to be more concise, but like one of the things I also enjoy in romance is how two imperfect people choose to be together and that choice that they make is the gold and solder that fits the pieces together into art. Sure MDZS didn't want to go there even though that's where it started, but to me it will only ever be the story of Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian.

Honestly even Yi City arc is YMSJ | CX to me.

Song Lan = Jiang Cheng

Xiao Xingchen = Wei Wuxian

Baoshan Sanren is involved

Eyes = Golden Core

Baixue Temple = Yunmeng Jiang

GUILT

RUNNING AWAY

Xue Yang = Yuan Qi (Resentment) Modao/Guidao

CORRUPTION

A-Qing = lwj being obsessed with WWX and fighting his use of guidao like a-Qing is distrustful of XY and XXC being friends with him.

XXC kills SL = WWX kills JC (figuratively, JYL's death destroyed the last of the JC from their childhood and all the trust he had in WWX (you cannot tell me that WWX doesn't feel like he caused JYL's death (he couldn't control the corpse that hurt her, he didn't sense the sword coming for him and she had to protect him)))

XXC's suicide and shattered soul is thus my grounds for headcanon to what actually happened to WWX at the First Siege, just sayin'

...

Anyway that's a bunch of canon stuff how about the realm of fanfiction/art?

Meme Format Reasons Twi is unwell about ChengXian:

From this post (yes that's my same edit)

Art Commissioned (So Far, more on the way and some I can't share yet) for ChengXian:

Happy ChengXian with Wei Wuxian in Purple by @robinade

Supportive ChengXian in pretty clothes! by Sugar_Shoal

Some more points for consideration:

💗 Point 1: They can't be normal about each other, due in large part by the people who raised them being unable to be normal about them either.

💗 Point 2: Their opposing ideologies, duties, and priorities make for the best drama, but in a better narrative, would balance each other.

💗 Point 3: Martial sibling romance ➡ tragedy! They fought together! Thought the future would be them together always! Then everything in the narrative tears it apart and all they're left with are the ashes of their choices and the lies that buried them.

💗 Point 4: Every AU where they end up happy instead!! 😭 I can't wait for @twinclownsoflotuspiers next CX Happy Ending event! Thankfully there is also @omiixcx coming up this APR 21st-27th! 👀 Yes that was a promo and prod.

💜 Point 5: ChengXian Pros = Zongzhu-shidi getting to love and protect his shixiong fully and truly without restraint.

🖤 Point 6: XianCheng Pros = Overprotective shixiong merciless in his affections for his Zongzhu-shidi.

💗 Point 7: Ship them for tropes based on miscommunication, acts of service, there was only one bed, boundary issues, genderfuckery, soul bound by choice, bickering, bantering, finishing each other's sentences, married-divorced-never-were, childhood shenanigans, cutting oneself on the other and denying the blood ever was...

...

I am not even getting into the monster/monster-maker aspect, am I? They are both at the same time!

JC makes WWX a monster by being the recipient of the golden core and believing WWX has control of guidao so encourages its use.

WWX makes JC a monster by lying to him until their relationship is broken irrevocably at the Bloodbath and years after JC is known for hunting demonic cultivators.

If you want to get really dark with it, there's also the cannibalistic aspect. WWX becomes a part of JC with the transfer. JC unwittingly consumes WWX and his fortune. The golden core is in the lower dantian, the belly, behind and below the navel. The symbology..! XianCheng is really good for the more gothic themes of the ship.

Let's be real, the vibes are straight up Wuthering Heights in multiple facets. MXTX recently admitted to that novel was one she read so insert conspiracy theory red string board meme here!

...

I spend a lot of time readdressing the themes introduced with the YMSJ dynamic and are exacerbated by the golden core transfer and the way Wei Wuxian handles and fails to handle that situation. I like how destructive they are about each other. There's a lot of potential there to create something together as well, but they were never given the chance.

Ideally, after the Jiang parents were gone and not influencing them anymore, or if they aged up enough to just stand on their own—and Wei Wuxian has his cultivation intact... Well in that scenario they could have easily stayed the Twin Prides/Heroes of Yunmeng and they would have been so happy being in the home they both loved and making the most of their lives one step at a time and arguing the whole way.

...

That's what fanfiction is for! 💜💗🖤

Hey, you made it to the end! I hope that was entertaining at least there is so much going on with this ship sometimes my brain just goes brrrr about it, y'know? Take care! Happy CX thoughts to you!

[greenerteacups]

Hi, hi! I never shut up in my fic comments, so I’m going to practice restraint here and quietly scream that I find everything about Lionheart delightful. It’s such a smart, witty, honest, beautiful, and deeply romantic story that honors a character arc for Draco that scratches so many itches in my brain. Every time I read it, I feel spoiled. 

I have SO MANY questions and general exclamations, but I’ll stick to one. I always love reading your thoughts, but there is zero, null, zip pressure to respond in any way. Just think of this ask as an energetic virtual wave. 

So, if your Narcissa and Molly were forced to name each other’s biggest flaw, what would they say? (I ask this knowing that what whatever they said wouldn’t necessarily be true, of course.) I’m endlessly fascinated by their parenting, but also the lives they lead beyond it. Molly and the Order. Narcissa and the pureblood circles she’s navigated her whole life. They both so obviously love their children, but I can’t ever decide if Molly’s dislike for Narcissa (I mean, I’m assuming she dislikes her) would include a stiffly admitted “you’ve raised a good son,” or if she’d say “Draco became good in spite of you.” 

<3 Tig

TIG!! Hello! I read your comments religiously, and by that I mean with the totemic reverence properly afforded to King St. Stephen of Hungary's right forearm. I hoard them in my inbox like Smaug's jewels and kick my feet like a schoolgirl over them. Or like a very schoolgirlish mixed metaphor of a dragon, that is. The longer, the more dragonly schoolgirling. To wit, I have been grinning at this stupidly for like, five whole minutes.

What would Narcissa and Molly say about each other? I wonder, I wonder. They're quite alike in being protective and (in their way) nurturing mothers. They both take pains to keep their children out of the war effort, albeit somewhat unsuccessfully. They're also very prideful, domineering, and intent on getting their own way. I think Draco acclimates to Molly's parenting style when he's around the Weasleys in part because it's so similar to his own home: you have a present and visibly dominant mother figure, who gives most of the orders, and then an auxiliary (or, in Lucius's case, absent) father figure whose name is usually invoked only to give force to the mother's commands. They also had children around the same time, though Molly was a mother years before Narcissa was, and so probably thinks of Narcissa as quite young. I expect there would be an element of mutual condescension, if not outright scorn. Both of them believe very strongly that their ideas are The Right Things, and if you disagree with them, it doesn't matter what your reasons are, you are simply Wrong. They have equally inflexible moral compasses that happen to be oriented around radically different poles.

They are also both — and I don't think it's a spoiler to say this, because everything I'm about to say is stated in the text — extremely competent fighters. Narcissa never fought in the first Wizarding War, but she's still an accomplished duelist, and formidable enough to have the respect of both Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore. She's an expert Occlumens, practiced Legilimens, and her husband was the Dark Lord's right hand. Molly Weasley, on the other hand, is one of the only people alive to have beaten Alastor Moody in a duel, and one of the few people in the Order who seems to feel comfortable giving shit back to him at Grimmauld Place. It's worth noting, too, that Molly is fairly bellicose as a person — she has a snap-your-fingers temper — and among her seven children, you have (canonically speaking):

a curse-breaker (one of the hardest/most demanding intellectual jobs in the wizarding world),

a dragon-tamer (holy fuck),

a Head Boy with more N.E.W.T.s than Hermione canonically has, who got a high-ranking aide position in Wizard Parliament straight out of high school,

two crackpot inventors who start a business selling bioweapons at age 17,

a chess prodigy who beats a 50-something master at age 11; hijacks a flying manual car, teaches himself to drive it, flies the fucking thing from Devon to Surrey, and kidnaps his best friend; subsequently flies it again from LONDON to HIGHLAND SCOTLAND; uses said car to bulldoze a horde of giant spiders; threatens a serial killer to his face, while nursing a broken leg; breaks into the wizarding version of MI6; blows it up; ensuingly helps prosecute a war effort to prevent a fascist takeover of Britain; and:

Ginny Weasley.

And on the other hand, you have Narcissa (in Lionheart), whose children, though few in number, consist of:

Draco Malfoy (prodigious, annoying, thus far remarkably hard to kill).

So regardless of your stance on the nature/nurture debate, you have to believe there's some fairly intense parenting happening on either side of the equation.

In my fic, they also both hold similar roles in the present: involved in the war effort, but not in the same way some of their colleagues are, either by choice (Molly being the de facto quartermaster for the Order safehouse, and hence the Order) or by necessity (Narcissa being unable to come out publicly on either side of the conflict without putting herself, and Draco, in danger). Those positions of "neutrality," which for both of them is really just a cover for their work as covert operatives, is made possible by the fact that they are mothers. No one would suspect the impoverished housewife Molly Weasley of running a guerrilla military out of her kitchen; likewise, few would suspect reclusive, tragic pureblood widow Narcissa Malfoy of being the pet huntress of Albus Dumbledore. Which is part of what makes them so effective. There's also something in the fact that they're both very feminine, both in their position and how they hold themselves, but they embody different aspects of femininity — specifically, the elements of femininity that are useful to their cover. Molly leans heavily into her role as the blustering, bossy, overworked mother, to the point that most of her children don't see her as anything else. Narcissa, on the other hand, leans into the "Mater dolorosa" angle, presenting herself as this demure, ladylike mistress-of-the-house, which is helped by the fact that her husband's death gives her an excuse not to go out often. The perception that she's a frail widow crippled by grief — which is anything but the truth, as becomes clear pretty much by her first appearances of Lionheart — means that people in her pureblood circles don't make the same demands of her that they would of Lucius, and she absolutely exploits that to her advantage. They're both Gen X women who grew up during (if not slightly before) the second-wave feminist movement; their relationships with sex and social position flow from that. They don't break molds; they flip them to their advantage.

Anyway, I've totally neglected your question. To wit: Narcissa would say that Molly's greatest flaw is her inability to conceive of an ideal more important than happiness. Molly would say that Narcissa's is cowardice.

[mysticstarlightduck]

OC Musical Tag!

Saw this open tag and wanted to give it a try! Here we go!

Rules: Share 1-3 songs you feel best embody a character from your WIP/s, either in general or at this moment in the plot.

I'll go with Artemis Zreeth from Supernova Initiative, Renn Atrius from Song of Thorns, and Deryc from The Forgotten Ones!

ARTEMIS ZREETH

Like A Villain - Bad Omens

Look into my face, then look again We are not the same, we're different To tell your tales and fables, you couldn't wait You need a new clean slate without the dents A place to put your pain, your consequence When you look into the mirror, are you even there? I don't wanna know all your secrets 'cause I'll tell It's hard enough being alone with myself I don't know how long I'll be holding on I know you tried your hardest, I know that you meant well But you pushed me to the edge and I slipped, and then I fell I don't know how long I'll be holding on

2. Trials - STARSET

Hear me from the bottom Forged in regret, I'm the silversmith Doomsday, you had it coming Marching the streets with an iron fist Obey no more in silence The steel in our hearts will be monuments Today, they'll hear the violence We'll rise from the dark like Lazarus These trials make us who we are, who we are, we are We're motivated by the scars that we're made of These trials make us who we are, who we are, we are We take our places in the dark And turn our hearts to the stars The ending won't be forgotten It's written in the stars and the hieroglyphs Sending the lionhearted The stones break bones, but we're venomous

3. Animal In Me - Solence

When I look in the mirror, I know what I see The animal in me One with the demon, one with the beast The animal in me (monster!) I'm gonna show them what I have become I'm gonna burn, burn, burn Burn them all to the ground, all to the ground For all the times they didn't believe in me (monster!) For all the times they cut me and made me bleed (monster!) For all the times they said I wasn't good enough They'll see I've got a monster, monster within

RENN ATRIUS

Children Of The Night - Johnathan Young

Let them hear us sing Lost and broken souls Trusted priest and king All of the lies they told They can hear our cries Leave us in the cold While the children die Watch them count their gold So if heaven is filled with the likes of them We dine in hell instead We are the young undead Born in the grave of humankind Breathe, fill your lungs with dread We have already died For we are the children of night Poison in the air Can't afford the cure Children unprepared To die in father's war

2. Over The Hills And Far Away - Hurdy Gurdy (cover version)

They came for him one winter's night Arrested, he was bound They said there'd been a robbery His pistol had been found They marched him to the station house He waited for the dawn And as they led him to the dock He knew that he'd been wronged "You stand accused of robbery" He heard the bailiff say He knew without an alibi Tomorrow's light would mourn his freedom

3. Higher Ground - Rasmussen

Ships in the making Bound for a distant shore World for the taking Men gone forever more Boarding and setting sail Yet, victory won't prevail Freeze the arrow in the air Make your mark and leave it hanging there Be the first to turn around Take the leap to land on higher ground

DERYC

Become The Beast - Karliene

I've always been a hunter Nothing on my tail But there was something in you I knew, could make that change To capture a predator You can't remain the prey You have to become An equal In every way So look in the mirror And tell me, who do you see? Is it still you? Or is it me? Become the beast We don't have to hide Do I terrify you Or do you feel alive?

2. Burn the Witch - Shawn James

The flames lick at my feet Their hearts full of hate What they don't understand, they condemn What they can't comprehend must meet its end But I won't scream, won't give them that satisfaction I won't confess my false interaction As I breathe deep and prepare for my passing I hear them chant: "Burn the witch!" I stand accused of "being in league with satan" No proof for their false accusation Tied to the stake, no hope of escape I stand alone and embrace my fiery fate

3. Hell To Your Doorstep - Count of Monte Cristo The Musical

The world is a place where the villains wear a smile on their face While they take what you can never replace Stolen moments gone forever Well, tables can turn as my enemies will soon enough learn I will strike a match and then watch them burn On the pyre of obsession You run 'till you drop, chasing on advantage You'll pay any price if you think it's free I will carry hell to your doorstep; I will make you pay You will reap the hate you've sown on my judgment day Sleepless nights and days of damnation Soon and evermore [...] Fall down on your knees 'Till I can hear you bargaining, scheming, begging, and screaming to pay! I will carry hell to your doorstep; you will rue the day You will reap the hate you've sown no matter how hard you pray It's a place without any mercy, fashioned in cold blood

Tagging (gently): @littleladymab, @winterandwords, @eccaiia, @sarahlizziewrites, @amaiguri

@agirlandherquill, @anoelleart,

@writernopal, @anyablackwood, @unstablewifiaccess, @forthesanityofstorytellers

@i-can-even-burn-salad,

@lassiesandiego, @clairelsonao3, @memento-morri-writes, @starlit-hopes-and-dreams and OPEN TAG

Supernova Initiative Taglist (-/+): @ray-writes-n-shit, @sarandipitywrites, @lassiesandiego, @smol-feralgremlin, @kaylinalexanderbooks,

@diabolical-blue @oh-no-another-idea

@cakeinthevoid, @clairelsonao3, @sleepy-night-child

@thepeculiarbird

@the-golden-comet, @urnumber1star

Let me know if you'd like to be added!

[akielzx]

Hello, May I request a onshot including cuddles with Johann Chu at night? Ty. <3

YESYESY I LVOE JOHANN VERRY MUCH, OUR 'ROBOT' BOYYY also HELP IM SORRY I FORHOT I HAD THIS IN MY DRAFTS

bro i'm so sorry i had this in my drafts i think for a month, i'll then write the other submission later :sob:

maybe i just wanna be yours ！✦

＃；oneshot, johann chu x reader

tags // just tad bit spoiler (the info abt shavee in the chat n all and only that i think, maybe also abt his dad), comfort, slight misunderstanding but it's fine in the end, understandings, johann bby muah muah, also johann might be a bit ooc so bear with me, this is kinda long [keyword: kinda]

johann chu wasn't the one to be expressive of his feelings, and understand his feelings. hence why he felt bemused about [name], they certainly made a huge imprint on him.

yet shavee had also had an impact on him. but [name]'s case was slightly different. even if he had missed an opportunity to have her, it was okay now. he was healing a bit.

when they were chatting and johann had slipped this information to [name] and some other emotional turmoil, he yet puts training first once again.

nonetheless, all was well in the end. it was night and johann thought of something. [name] was doing quite well in their training, but he heard from a little birdy that they weren't quite doing well in draconic history.

maybe stress was getting to them? either way, as their senior, he felt obligated to help them out. it wasn't in a negative light, but he somehow felt like it.

as they were conversing, he then brought up their history course. [name] surprisingly did mention how they were struggling to understand a little and he offered to help them.

they asked where the both of them should go and he bluntly said at his dorm. [name] was confused at first why they wouldn't be doing it at the library.

he simply said it might be a bit troublesome for them as to referring to the girls that swooned over him, even if some girls do have self-control, he still didn't want to risk it.

and he wanted to spend more time with [name] not in training. he wanted to know more about them. miscellaneous things would suffice.

as the day passed, it was finally the time they decided to meet up that johann proposed. he asked [name] to meet him at the basketball court so he could escort them to his dorm.

when they finally came, he started to escort [name]. it was a bit awkward at first, given how the girls they passed by would look at them in envy.

[name] would try and flip them off by either going to scratch their cheek, getting something out of their eyes, or tucking their hair behind their ear using the middle finger.

but johann caught on and said that it doesn't matter and just ignore them for the best. they slightly grumbled, but begrudgingly complied as he is their senior and they didn't want to hear a lecture from a certain someone.

johann sighed, slightly amused but it went unnoticed. as soon as they entered the lionheart's club base, there susie was. she exchanged words with johann until she spotted [name].

she then asked if they were going to join, but johann answered for [name] that they were just looking around and dismissed susie. that made them confused, but thankful either way for their senior for answering for them.

he then led [name] to his dorm, and there they both discussed where they were struggling a bit. they shyly confessed that even tho they could've said that they would just research it, they were thankful for his help.

they can, but it was much more understandable if someone was there teaching it because they could get their possible unanswered questions answered.

johann nodded understanding. it is preferred that most should have a study group so there's a chance someone knows the subject they're studying and can answer simple questions.

as time passed, [name] started to understand more. they scribbled in their notebook while listening to johann. "so.. only the light king, priest- 'inazami' possessed equal power to nidhogg?"

johann nodded, confirming the statement was true, [name] scribbled again and continued, "but she also failed to rebel and renounce his position.. right?"

"yes. you are correct, i must say i am impressed by you..- not only you are quite the fast learner when we train, but also a good listener." [name] scratched their head a bit, "eh.. haha. it's just that i- wait no, you're a good guide and tutor is all.."

'and i like hearing your voice..' [name] felt a bit awkward and looked at the time, it was getting a bit late. they then start to stand up from their comfortable position.

johann was a bit confused at this sudden action, he still wanted to ask some questions. the not-too-personal ones. he couldn't think straight this time and grabbed [name]'s wrist.

"where.. are you going?"

[name]'s eyes widened a bit and looked at him.

"johann?"

his grip on [name] wavered a bit, his action seemingly getting him off-guard. he then loosened his grip and backed away. he pondered about something.

"..i don't know what this feeling is… i feel a sense of euphoria when i see you or… sometimes everything's better when you're here."

"huh?" [name] looked at him dumbfoundedly.

"i'm really glad you're here, but at the same time, i'm not because i'm scared. i'm scared i might lose you too."

"johann senpai? what are you-"

"i hope you know how much you mean to me. i wish you could see in you what i see in you."

[name]'s eyes widen at the sudden statement. they stood in their place shocked. "i… i don't understand you johann.." they ask, their brows furrowing in confusion.

"i don't either. but.."

"i'll hear you out on this. but i don't want it to be too long."

"..why?"

"…"

johann looked at [name] in anticipation, yet they stayed quiet. he asked once again, and [name] suspired.

"because… i don't want to make more assumptions and fall harder."

"why would you fall harder..?-"

"johann senpai, i've had harboured feelings for you. it feels off sometimes. i don't know if- if it's okay given your circumstance and mine."

he looked at [name] expectantly, yet stunned. he didn't expect his junior to also like him. but his brows furrowed. when [name] decided to speak once more, as he had an unanswered question.

"it's not just an infatuation i have for you, it's not just any epitome that i admire. but the way, you are you senpai. i've never loved anyone the way i love you before..''

[name] then took a deep breath before continuing.

"i'd accept your flaws in any way possible, i'd try and understand you better with how you act and maybe i understand.. but i don't. i don't understand how you feel about me. i appreciate you for you-"

"and i do too."

the sudden intervention has [name] stunned. they decided to look at johann, just to see him furrowing his eyebrows. his grasp went back to [name]'s wrist and slightly pulled them closer, but not harshly.

"i like spending time with you. it's nice. i feel calmer when i’m with you. it’s weird. i never thought i could feel like this, but you showed up. now, it’s like i don’t wanna go on knowing i might lose the feeling. and i might end up losing you."

[name]'s hands slightly quivered as his voice wavered. he felt their hands slightly shaking and he held it with the hand he grasped their wrist with.

"..are you okay [name]?.."

[name]'s breath hitches for a bit before taking a deep breath from their mouth and shaking their head, "yeah.. i'm- i'm fine johann."

"no. you aren't fine, did.. did i say something wrong perhaps..?"

johann squeezed their hand gently and rubbed circles on it, this action made [name] tense but relaxed a bit after they snapped out of their trance.

"wha- no!- no, you didn't. i just-"

johann took both of [name]'s hands and held them close to his chest, making the both of them close to each other, but not too close.

"i'm sorry if that caught you off-guard. i just couldn't-"

he was cut off as [name] hugged him and nuzzled their head close. they hummed to themselves and hugged him tighter,

"i like spending time with you too.."

"..then spend the night with me"

"of course."

-

ok bro i know that wasnt really cuddling but man idk :sob: thats all you get please accept it p;ease. im beiggin you

[smeepyhead]

chapter 3 of you're the king and i'm your lionheart is up now!

(also known as my maxley royal / runaway au fic teehee)

here's a sneak peek from yours truly <333

That’s true. Part of Max already knows that this must be a mistake. Everyone who has at least slight recognition of Bradley knows the rumors—knows how he fluctuates from cool and curt to psychopathic and unhinged. But another part of Max is hopeful. He’s always been a little naive. Takes after his father. And who is he to deny his own blood?

Max clicks his tongue.

“Yes,” he offers, cautious. “But I want to hear your side of the story first.”

Or traveling shenanigans ensue.

[ladydorian05]

Seven-ish sentence Sunday

Thank you for tagging me lovelies @wikiangela @loserdiaz @hippolotamus @wildlife4life!!

Have a little something from A king and his lionheart, the Medieval au! I'm working on for the 9-1-1 Bingo. Warning I'm in the middle of some serious editing with this one so this whole thing may change once it's actually posted

The first thing Eddie does as king when his father’s health deteriorates is appoint the order of knights 118 as his official royal guard, the order Buck got selected to be a part of, and the second thing he does is appoint Buck as Christopher’s personal guard. “Eddie, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Buck says, uncertainty lacing his words. “Why not?” “There are far more qualified knights than me, like captain Nash for example. Hell, even Chimney and Hen, not only are they great knights, they’re also healers. I’m just a brute that knows how to swing a sword with basic knowledge in field medicine!” “Careful there, you’re insulting the king’s best friend.” “Quit joking, I’m serious.” “I’m also serious, Buck.” How could Buck doubt himself so much? He was the youngest graduate of the Angeleño academy, and the youngest recruit to be chosen by one of the order of knights backed by the royal family. He was praised by many as a prodigy. Buck’s troubled expression and his hunched posture speaks in volumes to Eddie about what kind of thoughts are going around his head. He’ll forever hate Lord and Lady Buckley for hurting their son’s self-worth this much. “Evan,” while not fond of his given name, Buck had always let Eddie call him by it whenever he pleased, and Eddie’s made sure to not overuse such a privilege, “I want you to listen to me. There is nobody in this world that I trust with my son more than you.” Because he knows Buck will do everything in his power to keep him safe, he knows how much Buck loves his boy, as if he were his own. He watches with bated breath as a tear rolls down his friend’s face, a small smile gracing his lips. “Thank you, Eddie.” He’s well aware of the weight Buck carries with him, all the expectations Lord Phillip Buckley placed upon his young son and the ones Buck gave to himself. Eddie understands the effect his words have on Buck. “I won’t let you down.” “I know you won’t.”

No pressure tags! @made-ofmemories @thewolvesof1998 @your-catfish-friend @disasterbuckdiaz @alyxmastershipper @crowleywasagryffindor @theotherluciferr @forthewolves @jesuisici33 and everyone who wants to do it!

[kioneira]

AusHun Week Day 7 - Free Day

Cus I got a new computer setup literally yesterday i'm not able to do any art for them. Sooo I'm blessin you all with my Headcanons about these two!

Old as Time hc, These two own a small apartament somwhere in between the borders of their countires. At first it was just for meeting purposes but now they fully live there togheter. It's not big or really elegant. It's small two bedroom apartament where one room was turned into a study cus Roderich need to keep the piano somwhere.

Roderich learned all of Liszt compositons, just so Erzsi could feel closer to home when she had to stay in Vienna.

My own personal hc is that Erzsi actually knows how to paint, (I once saw it in a fanficton where she was an art's teacher and I fell in love with it) And becouse of that most paintings in their homes are made by her (or Felicano, Yes Roderich kept them, they practically raised that boy what did you expect)

Roderich own's a Painting of Erzsi in his home in Vienna, It's in his study hanging behind his desk (I painted that painting actually here's link)

Even though at first the Nobles of Vienna tried to make a Lady out of Erzsi, She never became one. Girlie stole a horse once or twice (or even more times) and when she finally got caught Roderich decided to finally get her, her own horse so she wouldn't have to sneek out all the time, and of course to get those people off her.

These two think they're sneaky but everyone, i mean everyone knows that they're still together.

You need someone to put your hair in a neat hairstyle, Call Roderich, This man learned how to braid, style and just take care of Erzsi hair so it would be easier for her to take care of it

Roderich is the taller one, It dosen't mean that he's the stronger one, oh no. Erzsi is the one opening jars there.

I have lot's of other hc about them but i pulled out my fav one's so enjoy

@hetalia-aushun-week

Also here's one of the songs that i have on my playlist inspired by them.

please ignore any language mistakes i made, english isn't my first language

[tiredassmage]

SHOTS FUCKIN FIRED!!!!! AT MY FEELINGS!!!!

OH HONEY YOU HAVE NO IDEA.

[This would be a Agent Oliver Daxton greatly approves situation. No, he won’t be elaborating at this time.]

who was going to prep me for just how well dropping Tyr in the smuggler story was gonna work, huh???? huh???? I was just supposed to find out this is a rockin’ idea all by my lonesome????

[sokumotanaka]

See THIS is the exact shit I talk about when I say RWBY Stans don't know what they're talking about.

None of this even debunks or scratches the points I made in the prior post.

I had to highlight and underline so you actually read my post and absorbed the POINT.

The characters don't learn anything new, This is Jaune's several time where he needed to unlearn his hero complex, Jaune throws himself into danger every volume and gets a talking down to, at this point I dont care, he won't learn till we have a second Pyrrha situation.

He didn't learn when he forged school papers then slept in class while whining that he wanted to be a hero but never wanted to put the effort in. Pyrrha was the best fighter won tons of tournaments as a kid and he still told her to fuck off cause he was insecure and wanted to learn by himself. But he only swallows his pride after Pyrrha secretly saves him. THEN he wants to actually be a good leader for his team and not hold them back.

Then he spent several seasons relearning the same BS.

As for Blake and Yang a moment away from the stress of war honey the war's still going on. If I were Blake or Yang I'd be worried about what's happening at home while I'm stuck doing unrelated bs elsewhere. This is like watching Avatar the airbender watching Aang get shocked and almost die then seeing Aang deal with the carebears for a month, they talked vol 7 & 8 and we just reiterated the same character beats.

WBYJ realizing that ruby was falling apart and then not being their for her until it was too late IS not the gotcha you think it is, all you prove is that you severely misunderstood the problems with VOL 9- You don't see a problem with the writers making a suicide death tea, or Neo puppeting two of her friends and several unrelated people like clover, Ozpin and Ironwood three people she barely knows personally and are adults who either are horrible liars or unrelated and don't interact wit ruby enough for her to care about them...or lionheart was there too that's right XD

---

Going back to my actual POINT is that nothing you mentioned here couldn't not have been done in Vacuo- Blake and Yang could of talked in a desert or a hot-spring, Jaune could of had countless interventions and Ruby could of had a breakdown in Vacuo- Atlas JUST fell and penny is gone forever, you could of had it all! But for some reason it's done in a badly interpenetrated version of Alice and Wonderland.

"There will be no victory in strength." Isn't this a line Salem...the villain said?

My brother have you NEVER absorbed a story in your life? villains have said they're unstoppable only to be beaten by heroes constantly- it's called SUBVERTING TROPES. That's such a silly thing to latch onto, hell I also even said "Special techniques" Where did I mention "Strength" ?

Lemme show you something: This is the Mafuba- a SPECIAL TECHNIQUE ooooh! Where the person seals a demon or being into whatever sealable container they have infront of them, This is a technique used by characters in Dragon ball

They use it on demon king picolo and almost works again in the future.

Or how Aang took Ozai's ability to bend away.

That's what a special technique is! Only you, YOU read it as a repetition in psychical striking. That's what I meant, Ruby hasn't learned anything new about silver eyes, or trained or found anyone with a semblance to beat her or found a way to get the relics back etc ecetera my good jester~!

It would be prudent that when you ...read my rwde post you actually read them and not, bullheadedly skim in angrily then skip to the end for my bottom line. Reading the whole thing might help friendo~!

[troutfur]

I find the idea of leadership in WC clans working on succession by tanistry to be a really interesting possibility. It could work not only to better justify the amount of nepotism going on but also I think making the clans more explicitly based off celtic clans could help them shave off some of the vaguely Native American-appropriating vibes they carry due to careless worldbuilding and thoughtless use of terminology like "medicine cat".

For the uninitiated, succession by tanistry works thusly: at the ascension of a new chieftain/king, the clan elects their successor, called a tanist. A tanist must be an adult descendant of the previous ruler. Thus, so long as they're of age, the current chieftain/king's siblings, children, niblings, grandchildren, grandniblings, and so on are elligible to inherit.

I'm not working out a full family tree just yet, but pondering how this might apply to ThunderClan as we see it in Into the Wild alone brings up interesting possibilities. For instance:

What are Redtail, Lionheart, and Tigerclaw's relationships to Bluestar? To each other? Presumably, they would've been close family so what does this say about Tigerclaw's ruthlessness in seeking to be elected as tanist/deputy?

Does Fireheart's ascent to deputyship thus imply he was adopted by Bluestar? Did she do it because of the prophecy? Did she think it meant he was supposed to be leader one day? How does this tie to the Clans' views on adoption?

And bringing it a little forward:

Would Brambleclaw, on account that the last leader was Bluestar, still be descended from the last leader and therefore elligible for deputyship? Or would he be too far removed from the direct line to be considered? Could Firestar have adopted him in turn? Or did he end up turning to the DF in frustration at the fact he won't ever be allowed to bring his ambitions to fruition? Was Tigerstar's pitch perhaps "If that kittypet hadn't meddled, I'd be leader right now and you could be deputy"?

Is the Clan perhaps expecting Squirrelpaw be perhaps considered a good candidate for deputy/tanist once she comes of age? Would she fell pressured to grow up into a good candidate? How does she feel about this whole system?

Overall, very interesting stuff. The wheels are turning on my head but I've got more questions than answers at this stage.

[atopvisenyashill]

some recs of my favorite fics

book canon fics

Goodbye Means Going Away (And Going Away Means Forgetting) by vixleonard

the original jonsa fic, if you haven’t read it yet you should. it’s from rickon’s pov, where his memories of ned and cat bleed into his memories of jon and sansa, who care for him now.

i’m the dog that ate your birthday cake by dwellingondreams

au where tyrion is the first born so joanna lives for a while. it’s a really interesting exploration of who joanna might have been, as well as what her impact could have been on tyrion.

you're my king and i'm your lionheart by plantagenet

jeyne & robb’s relationship from jeyne’s pov. it’s a great take on jeyne bc it gives her a spine without leaning too hard into the “quirky nurse” route that the show took. heartbreaking of course.

Four Women Who Were Jon Snow's Mother by Baamon5evr

bunch of short drabbles on "what if" situations where various women wind up mothering jon snow - lyanna, cat, elia, ashara. they're interesting character studies & tbh “what if jon snow was raised slightly differently” aus are my weakness

Agony by bubblewrapstargirl

au where theon is brought back to life with all his memories, right when he’s taken away from pike as a hostage. i fucking love this fic because it has so much throbb, theonsa, and theonjon and those are my weaknesesssas but it was abandoned so beware. it's worth the heart break though!!

game of thrones/house of the dragon canon fics

The King's Desire by exax3

the series but throbb are fucking. mostly show canon bc of the ages. made me want to kms but in a good way.

The Black Widow by Its_Rhaenin_Time

ongoing. kind of a tragicomic take on the dance, an au where alicent convinces the small council to put aegon aside as heir, wed aemond to rhaenyra, and install aemond as king as a way of protecting rhaenyra from being killed. it’s excellent and hilarious. technically more pro blacks, but it's not really anti anyone on team green except criston and the lannisters (the rhaenyra/aegon dynamic is sublime). focuses a lot on gender, sex, and cultural dynamics. currently my favorite fic actually, i'm obsessed with it.

The fire of our blood by katbux

ongoing. au where aegon ii reincarnates just as he’s crowned to try to redo the dance. surprised me by going the aegon/aemond/helaena route romance wise (which is the best route), and i like all the politicking in it. less “pro green” than it is “pro aegon, helaena, aemond, and daeron getting extensive therapy” & it’s kind of a mix between show & book canon. really delves into the "can they actually avoid the dance" question.

Breakbones and the Dragonrider by beneathawesternsky

romantic fic that started as an exploration of the rhaenyra/harwin relationship and morphed into an au where they wind up married. very cute, very romantic, love the supporting characters in it, and the way house strong is characterized as a northern house pre-harrenhal and all the “aegon’s vision” stuff in it.

[greenerteacups]

I’ve meaning to send this ask for ages and finally found the courage to do so :) I started reading lionheart on a whim in the beginning of November and since them after reading everything a couple of times, all I can say is that it is a masterpiece. I am so in love with your writing, especially with how you give Draco the space to be gracious and grow up. I love for example when they are in the Slytherin common room and Draco see for himself that the mermaids are sentient beings just like him. Also, I am completely enamored with the golden quartet (?), the relationships between them feel much more balanced, and I have so much love for Harry, Hermione, and Ron. I do think you does the characters justice, if not written in a better and more honest, human way. Btw, I love your Narcisa because I am such an apologist for her and her crimes. (If Narcisa has million fans, then I'm one of them. If Narcisa has one fan, then I'm THAT ONE. If Narcisa has no fans, that means I'm dead.). This also aplies for hermione. Anyway, all I am trying to do is to put into words what the world you design means to me, but alas I do not seem to have. When the time comes for my unborn children to read the Harry Potter series, I am showing them your books and telling them it is canon.

Now that I am done showering you with complements, I have a couple of questions. First, after reading the last chapter (which I adored), the fight between Draco and Sirius, one of my favorite moments, kept coming to mind. Was it intentional for Draco to give such honest wake up call for Theo basing himself from the talk he had with Sirius years ago? Secondly, I am not sure with you already answer this, if so, feel free to tell me, but if you could choose Poet, Soldier or King for each – Draco, Harry, Hermione, and Ron – which one would they be?

Thank you for taking the time to read. I usually download each chapter because I like to highlight my favorite parts, I will try to be more present on AO3! And sorry for any English mistakes, it is not my first language!

Thank you, my friend! This is a completely lovely ask, and as I often do with lovely asks, I've hoarded it for a while to re-read whenever I want a nice treat. However, I've left the question unanswered long enough.

If we're going to do the Soldier/Poet/King test, I want to complicate it a little. You can either do it by personality (the way we do when we say "I'm soldier!" or "I'm poet!") or you can do it by narrative role, i.e. what you actually do in the context of the story. Those can be different. For instance, you can be a poet-coded soldier (your chosen weapon is your word, but you're pushed by your circumstances to fight), or a soldier-coded king (you carry a mighty sword, but you're forced off the battlefield to rule, i.e. you want to fight but you can't). That opens up the range of ways to fill the role. So it's like:

Obviously, the central axis here is going to be the most satisfied/content with their lot in life, but there's a broad range of happinesses.

If you ask me, Harry is a poet-coded king, because he's incredibly reluctant to take leadership, and he doesn't want anyone to fight for him. He runs away in Deathly Hallows because he can't stand to be at the center of a war (which is going to happen anyway) and has only accepted Ron and Hermione's sacrifice begrudgingly. It's also worth saying that Harry's best moments come when he's trying to talk someone down: he's telling Remus to go back to Tonks, he's telling Slughorn to preserve Lily's memory by being noble for her sake, he's telling Riddle to "try for remorse." Harry is at his best when he's giving consolation and understanding, not when he's fighting; his signature spell is Expelliarmus. Kid's not a soldier. And he hates the idea of being a king. (This is, not coincidentally, one of the unhappiest combinations.)

I read Ron as a true soldier, not because he enjoys fighting, but because that's almost always his knee-jerk reaction to conflict, and it's also where a lot of his strengths lie. Ron is brash and bold and he will swing if you step to him, and that's why people love him (or hate him, if they do). Even in his best moments, when he's being a strategist and tactician, he's employing his skills in the service of battle. And the narrative is happy to put him in positions where that's the skill he has to contribute. He thinks of the basilisk fangs and the house-elves in the kitchens; he's good at tactics, but he doesn't do broad-strokes strategy.

Hermione is king-coded soldier, because I think in a different series of novels, she is absolutely the protagonist, and she kind of thinks she should be. She's proactive, driven, clever, and calculating, and she orders people around like she's the boss of them — usually with good reason, but she still does. She sees herself as the HBIC, and she often gets a bit irritated when other people don't jive with that idea. It's funny how often Harry gets along by just doing what Hermione tells him. That being said, her narrative role is being sworn in Harry's service, and as the books go on, she increasingly embraces that. She defends him and offers to risk her life for him, sacrifices volumes (her parents!!) and compromises her safety (gets tortured!) for his sake, all without complaining or seeming to begrudge Harry at all. He's her king; she's his knight. Which is another way of saying soldier.

Draco is a poet-coded soldier, or possibly a poet-coded king, depending on what direction you take his arc from the source material. In the books, he's kind of a flop, God bless him, he doesn't really manage much in the final days of the war. Besides refusing to identify Harry (after identifying both of Harry's well-known travel companions... booboo you tried), he's basically fit for neither use nor ornament from Book 6 onward. But taken more broadly, he is someone who absolutely does not want to be here — he doesn't want to fight, he doesn't want to be in danger, he doesn't want to risk people — getting conscripted forcibly into a conflict that was running for years before he was born. And he's conscripted, like Harry, because of his heritage; it's a position he was born into. Depending on how you read his relationship to power, and having it, he can either be a soldier or a king, or someone teetering on the cusp between them.

[nuwanders]

tagged by @dirty-bosmer and @mareenavee (thank you both!) to take part in this tag game. had a lot of fun with this one-- was just the push i needed to get me back in the zone of longfic writing. timing couldn't have been better! :')

not sure who has yet to have been tagged, but tagging @wispstalk @creaking-skull @ervona @gilgamish @profanetools @lucien-lachance @oblivionposting and @stormbeyondreality

A line from your fic that makes you laugh

“So you really weren’t joking,” she said at last, putting the letter to one side. “The emperor. By the gods. No-one’s dared assassinate an emperor of Tamriel for two hundred years.” Mathyas scoffed. “Because it famously went so well for us last time.”

From Chapter 30 of King and Lionheart, Journey's End

A line from your fic that makes you sad

She found the opening to her tent with some difficulty and dropped like a stone onto her bedroll, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. She wanted to scream, gods, she wanted to Shout. But she just lay there in silence and wept. Anger like this was more than any frail mortal body could be expected to take.

From Chapter 28 of King and Lionheart, The Silence Has Been Broken. jórunn my baby gorl :'(

A line from your fic you're proud of

The blackness evaporated away from the light, revealing dozens of chalk-white, bloated figures clinging to the inside of the pit, humanoid in shape but so spider-like in movement, crawling over the walls towards them. Their withered mouths and hollow eye sockets gaped like inkwells from the milk-white flesh of their faces.

From Chapter 20 of King and Lionheart, Under Saarthal (Part II)

A line for your fic you think could have been better

Too many "[They] were silent for a moment"s to count. Still haven't found a good alternative to this-- sometimes people are just silent ;-;

However the title for worst line in the fic goes without a doubt to this:

A low whispering sound filled the air.

like gorl.... :/ i'm not even going to say what chapter this was from. It's been edited out, but it haunts me to this day. A low whispering sound filled the air... god.

A line from your fic that makes you want to punch a character

“Am not,” Cassathra pouted, half-heartedly shoving him away. But J’zargo just laughed, then pushed some hair away from her neck. “And oh, what is this?” he teased. “Been having some fun with the pretty half-elf, hm?” “Stop it,” said Cassathra, self-consciously pulling her hair back over her neck. It was a relief that it was now long enough to do so. “J’zargo would say he told you so, but that would be cruel. So how was it? Did she teach you how to sing? How to dance the horizontal jig? Did she practise her—” “Stop it,” Cassathra snapped. “I mean it.”

From Chapter 31 of King and Lionheart, Hitting The Books. I love J'zargo with all my heart, to be clear-- but he can be Much sometimes

A line from your fic that makes you go 'aww'

“That’s alright,” Raydrin murmured. He longed to be holding her again, longed for so many things, and his heart ached with the effort it took not to reach out and just squeeze her waist. But Jórunn had apologised—had forgiven him—and he trusted her enough to know that she meant it when she said she would tell him the truth. That was all he could ask for.

Also from Chapter 28, The Silence Has Been Broken. ;-;

A line from your fic that's full of symbolism

The two large, fleshy sacks of the spider’s jaw parted and began to chew on the dissolving creature, tearing it apart and slurping it up. His stomach turned as the threads of cobweb fell away, revealing brown fur and the remains of a small mammal, possibly a rabbit or a hare.  Mathyas stayed there and watched until there was nothing left of it but the bones.

From Chapter 22, Whispers on the Grapevine.

A line from your fic that contains an Easter egg

“Oh, how the ape-queen does dance into clever Reynard’s snare,” he sang. “You should take Cicero’s cap, mistress, for you’d make a better fool—”

From Chapter 30, Journey's End. Like @mareenavee I had to really fight the urge to use Raydrin's "Ash yams-- boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew" line for this, but that one is maybe just a bit too on the nose. There are actually three Easter eggs in the line above, of varying levels of obscurity-- please do let me know if you recognize any!

A line from your fic that's shocking

“We’re serving a particularly good vintage of Surilie collequiva,” said Malborn. “If milord is in the mood for a red.”

From Chapter 26, Diplomatic Immunity (Part I). It's not particularly shocking without context... but iykyk

A line from your fic you want to talk about more

Velothi theology is far simpler, or at least, it runs that way in Redoran circles; our freedom of will is considered self-evident, for though the gods may interfere in our Nirnly affairs (as our own Mephala is wont to do), the very fact they are able to do so speaks to the nature of fate as a malleable thing.

From Man Amongst Gods: A Chronicle of the Last Dragonborn.

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