#12 tribes rising

[zutarasbuff]

12 reasons why do I believe Zutara could have been a rightful canon for the Avatar World!!!

Zutara could have been turned out to be passionate activists on mental health awareness & battling depression with strength based on their individual experiences.

Over the course of the 100 years war, both the water tribes had to lose a lot after the air nomads. This had surely created a rift between them and their colonizers (the fire nation). The Union of the princess of the Southern Water Tribe & the new firelord would have been a historic step to melt the ice.

Katara would have ensured upon the establishment of healing centres and would have revived the healing legacy of their tribe all across the Avatar world as the fire lady.

Both Zuko and Katara had lived among the commoners with a secret side (as the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady). This meant together they would have shared their experiences and had devised policies to eradicate poverty among the less deprived towns and villages.

Katara being the fire lady meant preservation of the Mother Nature. She would have taken steps to eliminate the risk of the construction of fire nation’s military settlements near natural water reservoirs and woods.

They would be the potential trendsetter couple to initiate the custom of giving a betrothal necklace within the fire nation (a trend native to the water tribes).

As Aang’s masters, together they would have trained him better by blending their bending styles and innovating new ones (Just the way Uncle Iroh learned redirection of light from water benders), thus helping him to rise against the future threats.

Katara was always the one with a maternal instinct. This meant that she would have influenced Zuko in a way to start services for those children who had lost their parents in the war. Plus, being an extrovert, she would have been a better companion to Zuko for handling diplomatic affairs as compared to Mai (who was downright an introvert and had no interest in the political affairs).

As we find within the series that fire nation had schools ensuring discipline children and this was something Sokka had actually to struggle with (as we see Water Tribe’s kids are skilled but lacked discipline to be the perfect soldiers). So I personally believe that Katara would have discussed this with Zuko to focus on the creation of schools in the Water tribes and skills would have been exchanged between both.

Zutara would have certainly put some restrictions upon the usage of light bending for the firebenders (as both of them suffered from the havoc of it).

As we find that Zuko remained supportive of Katara’s decisions as he had complete faith in her. It meant Katara would have been that crucial element that could have lessened his anger as well as the cold nature, and he would have been the ultimate “firelord of the people”.

I have this personal belief that empathy was something that was inherent to both. The only difference was Katara expresses her empathic sides clearly, but Zuko’s the one who feels bad in heart. However, if you have been an avid fan of the series, you should know that their secret selves operated in dark and fought to make things better (as Zuko turned into the blue spirit to correct the flaws of the society; he steals in a Robinhood pattern for Uncle Iroh and fights Gow and his comrades for Lee [ref: Zuko Alone]. Similarly Katara also did the same for the town’s people by feeding momo berries [ref: The Painted Lady]). Their being one meant frequent secret stroll together with the same identities in varying lands of the avatar world just to have the certainty of development and peace in the Avatar world.

[blueiscoool]

Britain's Oldest Gold Coin Hoard Discovered

The oldest hoard of gold coins in Britain, dating back 2,173 years, was discovered by a metal detectorist.

The 12 Iron Age artifacts were discovered by Stephen Eldridge while scouring fields in Buckinghamshire.

They were built in 150 BC by a tribe in what is now Picardy, France, according to experts at the British Museum.

According to speculation, the coins were likely transferred to Britain in return for Celtic mercenaries who were sent to Gaul in western Europe to fight the Romans.

A hoard from this date is extremely uncommon, even though individual gold coins from this era have been discovered before.

The coins will now likely sell for £30,000 when they are put up for auction at London's Spink & Son.

In November 2019, Mr. Eldridge, 68, discovered the coins in the Buckinghamshire community of Ashley Green.

The Catuvellauni tribe first settled in the region about 150 BC, and during the ensuing century they grew to become the most dominant tribe in Britain.

Mr. Eldridge has put the coins up for auction with London-based coin specialists Spink after going through the treasure process.

The coins' roughly 75% gold content with an alloy of silver and copper was validated by scientific x-ray fluorescence analysis, indicating the economy in which Britain's first gold coinage were circulating.

The coins are now expected to sell for £30,000 when they go under the hammer at London auctioneers Spink & Son

Gregory Edmund, of Spink & Son, said: “Whilst individual gold coins of this period have been recorded across south east England, it is incredibly rare for a trove of this size or date to be uncovered. Contemporary local coinage was simply cast base metal issues called 'potins'. Whoever successfully imported this trove of gold coins would have undoubtedly wielded influence in the region.

They would have been exported, probably in exchange for mercenaries, equipment and hunting dogs to fight the Romans or other tribes in Belgium. Twenty or thirty years after they were deposited we started to get the first British coins in the same style. These coins were in the wealthiest part of the English kingdom. A hoard of this size and period is unprecedented in the archaeological record. There was one other hoard from this period of three coins found. These coins have been well used, it is very clear they are not fresh when they are put in the ground, but still retain remarkable details of a seldom-seen Iron Age art form.

It is often speculated that the portraiture of this coinage was deliberately androgynous despite being modelled on the classical male god Apollo. The feminine styling is probably a reflection of the political significance of women in Iron Age society, that enabled such historical figures as Cartimandua and Boudicca to rise to prominence and our now national folklore. It is incredibly satisfying to assist in the proper recording, academic analysis and now sale of these prestigious prehistoric relics.”

Following the coroner's inquest, the British Museum made the decision to disclaim the coins, which means they now belong to the finder.

The landowner will receive a portion of Mr. Eldridge's earnings.

[trendfilmsetter]

Apple Music’s ‘100 Best Albums of All Time’ list:

#1. Lauryn Hill — The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

#2. Michael Jackson — Thriller

#3. The Beatles — Abbey Road

#4. Prince & The Revolution — Purple Rain

#5. Frank Ocean — Blonde

#6. Stevie Wonder — Songs in the Key of Life

#7. Kendrick Lamar — good kid, m.A.A.d city

#8. Amy Winehouse — Back to Black

#9. Nirvana — Nevermind

#10. Beyoncé — Lemonade

#11. Fleetwood Mac — Rumours

#12. Radiohead — OK Computer

#13. Jay-Z — The Blueprint

#14. Bob Dylan — Highway 61 Revisited

#15. Adele — 21

#16. Joni Mitchell — Blue

#17. Marvin Gaye — What’s Going On

#18. Taylor Swift — 1989 (Taylor’s Version)

#19. Dr. Dre — The Chronic

#20. The Beach Boys — Pet Sounds

#21. The Beatles — Revolver

#22. Bruce Springsteen — Born to Run

#23. Daft Punk — Discovery

#24. David Bowie — The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars

#25. Miles Davis — Kind of Blue

#26. Kanye West — My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

#27. Led Zeppelin — Led Zeppelin II

#28. Pink Floyd — The Dark Side of the Moon

#29. A Tribe Called Quest — The Low End Theory

#30. Billie Eilish — WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

#31. Alanis Morissette — Jagged Little Pill

#32. The Notorious B.I.G. — Ready to Die

#33. Radiohead — Kid A

#34. Public Enemy — It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

#35. The Clash — London Calling

#36. Beyoncé — BEYONCÉ

#37. Wu-Tang Clan — Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

#38. Carole King — Tapestry

#39. Nas — Illmatic

#40. Aretha Franklin — I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

#41. OutKast — Aquemini

#42. Janet Jackson — Control

#43. Talking Heads — Remain in Light

#44. Stevie Wonder — Innervisions

#45. Björk — Homogenic

#46. Bob Marley & The Wailers — Exodus

#47. Drake — Take Care

#48. Beastie Boys — Paul’s Boutique

#49. U2 — The Joshua Tree

#50. Kate Bush — Hounds of Love

#51. Prince — Sign O’ the Times

#52. Guns N' Roses — Appetite for Destruction

#53. The Rolling Stones — Exile on Main St.

#54. John Coltrane — A Love Supreme

#55. Rihanna — ANTI

#56. The Cure — Disintegration

#57. D’Angelo — Voodoo

#58. Oasis — (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

#59. Arctic Monkeys — AM

#60. The Velvet Underground & Nico — The Velvet Underground and Nico

#61. Sade — Love Deluxe

#62. 2Pac — All Eyez on Me

#63. The Jimi Hendrix Experience — Are You Experienced?

#64. Erykah Badu — Baduizm

#65. De La Soul — 3 Feet High and Rising

#66. The Smiths — The Queen Is Dead

#67. Portishead — Dummy

#68. The Strokes — Is This It

#69. Metallica — Master of Puppets

#70. N.W.A — Straight Outta Compton

#71. Kraftwerk — Trans-Europe Express

#72. SZA — SOS

#73. Steely Dan — Aja

#74. Nine Inch Nails — The Downward Spiral

#75. Missy Elliott — Supa Dupa Fly

#76. Bad Bunny — Un Verano Sin Ti

#77. Madonna — Like a Prayer

#78. Elton John — Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

#79. Lana Del Rey — Norman F*****g Rockwell!

#80. Eminem — The Marshall Mathers LP

#81. Neil Young — After the Gold Rush

#82. 50 Cent — Get Rich or Die Tryin'

#83. Patti Smith — Horses

#84. Snoop Dogg — Doggystyle

#85. Kacey Musgraves — Golden Hour

#86. Mary J. Blige — My Life

#87. Massive Attack — Blue Lines

#88. Nina Simone — I Put a Spell on You

#89. Lady Gaga — The Fame Monster

#90. AC/DC — Back in Black

#91. George Michael — Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1

#92. Tyler, The Creator — Flower Boy

#93. Solange — A Seat at the Table

#94. Burial — Untrue

#95. Usher — Confessions

#96. Lorde — Pure Heroine

#97. Rage Against the Machine — Rage Against the Machine

#98. Travis Scott — ASTROWORLD

#99. Eagles — Hotel California

#100. Robyn — Body Talk

[hawkingbishop]

Tethered - an Imodna (Critical Role) fanmix

Imogen: (hugging Laudna) I love you so much.

Laudna: I love you more than anything.

Imogen: You're my tether, Laudna. Sometimes I feel like I'm about to float away, but as long as you're there...

Laudna: You quite literally pulled me from darkness and death. That tether... goes beyond this realm and this life. You've got this.

Imogen: We've got this.

// 1. DDRMR - Vegeta’s Hell’s Bells Theme // 2. Halsey - Bells in Santa Fe // 3. Rasputina - Bad Moon Rising // 4. Anya Marina - Tethered to the Dark // 5. Twin Tribes - Shadows // 6. She Wants Revenge - A Hundred Kisses // 7. Alice Phoebe Lou - Witches // 8. Julia Sheer - Give Your Heart a Break // 9. Amaris - Undead // 10. Lebanon Hanover - Kiss Me Until My Lips Fall Off // 11. Starbenders - BITCHES BE WITCHES // 12. MARINA - Immortal // 13. Wolf Girl - Dream Partner // 14. Dead Man’s Bones - My Body’s a Zombie For You // 15. Yuna - Lullabies (Adventure Club Remix) // 16. Mareux - The Perfect Girl // 17. Adna - Beautiful Hell // 18. Lana Del Rey - Born To Die (Woodkid & The Shoes Remix) // 19. Nightcomber - Witchcraft (Ft. Jenny Owen Youngs) // 20. vivi rincon- if we lived on the moon //

[writingcold]

Hi.  Welcome to the opening chapter of CD&FE.  My plan is to post Wednesdays.  This is a complete story, so I will be faithful to this posting day.  

Pairing: Jake X Female Reader 

Summary: This is an AU that starts with the release of GVF’s first EP, Black Smoke Rising, and follows along life paths over the course of twenty years.  Part One: Y/n is on the verge of a huge change - and on the cusp of a big night of celebration.  The friends head out for the evening, starting with catching a band at a pub, to which the guitarist catches your attention.  

Content warnings: Language, smoking, drinking, sexual situations, oral (m & f rec), anal play, protected sexual encounter.

Word Count: approx. 13K (probably the longest of the parts, promise, maybe)

A tremendously huge thank you to @edgingthedarkness and @takenbythemaddness for all of your help with this.  You’ve both helped me to at least make it not a total shit show.  This is my first full length reader insert, first person narrative, so please be kind and forgive any and all errors.

Celebratory Drinks and Fleeting Embraces, Part 1

     I woke up feeling like I was roasting under the sun, only to find that I was lying in a furnace otherwise known as Patrick.  He was curled around my body, his sour breath in my hair.  My lip twisted as an ‘ew’ passed my lips.  I slid from the bed of my oldest, dearest friend feeling my skin crawl with sibling residue grossness.  I’d known him since we were in second grade.  Patty was always the pretty one in our relationship, but I never could see beyond the awkward childhood and weird puberty phases that we shared, not to mention all the heartbreaks, highs, drunks, and learning that we survived together.  We had tried to kiss way back in fifth grade - just to get that over with, but ew.  No.  

      “Oh, come on,”  his deep voice was still heavy with sleep, “I was enjoying that thick ass of yours, Y/n.  Come on back and snuggle for a while.”

      “Fuck you,”  I grumbled as he laughed.  “You promised me a record if I put up with your little dinner party last night.  Why are you trying so hard to impress those pretentious idiots?  They are not your tribe, Patty.”

      I didn’t bother with modesty.  The man was the first one to see me naked, and he looked at me like I was sheathed in 12” armor plating that was slathered with poison, set on fire with a NO GO ZONE etched across it.  He was wrapped in goo and toxic sludge that kept me at bay.  And that's how we liked it.  I dug through my suitcase to drag out a cropped tee and cutoff shorts.

      “I know,”  he howled into his pillow.  “I hate it.  I do.  But I’ve got to start making headway with this stupid job so I can get to the next step.”

      I rolled my eyes as I started dressing.  He slid his tall, rail thin body out of the sheets to reveal he was clad only in his boxer briefs.  I frowned.  “God damn it, you could’ve at least worn shorts when sleeping with me.  I do not need to feel that beast under the hood.”

      “Just because your last three guys didn’t have horse cocks, doesn’t mean you have to discriminate against mine, doll,”  he teased as he started to fish out clothes for himself.

     I rushed around him for the bathroom, bag in hand.  Damn if I was going to have to wait for his ass to get through his thirty minute wake up routine in the only bathroom of the apartment.  I heard his protest, but I knew that I’d be through in less than 15 minutes if left alone.

      I emerged ready to his raised eyebrow and sideways grin.  I pulled him down and kissed his cheek with a platonic whisper of love against his face before ducking into the kitchen.  Visits to Ann Arbor were getting harder to make.  I moved to Lansing right after graduating.  Pat had remained behind, working on his master’s degree while toiling away in the university system as a TA.  I finished my graduate work while killing myself on sixty hour work weeks and had earned a job in St. Paul that was to start in a week.  Patty was the first one I called when I got the news.  Not my family.  Not other friends. It had to be Patrick because he had been the only one that could understand that I just needed someone to tell me I wasn’t nuts for trying this route in life.  Everyone else either didn’t understand what I wanted to accomplish, or they simply said I would fail.  Fuckers.

     A tour through the kitchen revealed that he had purchased real food for my stay.  With a chirp of happiness, I settled into a bright sounding playlist before making us a feast while he showered.  By the time he was out, dried and all sorts of gorgeous, I had quite the meal prepared.  He pecked me on the mouth and yanked me in a tight hug.

      “Mornin’, punkin,”  he cooed as I started to push him away.

      We laughed over food.  He did the dishes and we strolled out the door.  

      “Did you call everyone?”  I asked as we walked from his apartment to the main drag of town.  

      “The only one not able to come is Aaron.  Bitch couldn’t get out of work,”  he answered, stopping to look into the window of a thrift boutique.  “That skirt would make your legs look amazing.  Y/n, my treat.  Let me get you an outfit for tonight.”

      “I’d rather have the record,”  I grimaced and whined.

      He screwed his mouth to the side with a diminutive grumble as I yanked him towards the music store.  It was already early afternoon, and the place seemed swamped with people.  I was never really one for big, chaotic crowds.  The sight brought me up short for a moment, until Patrick steered me to the side door.  I slipped inside, finding the crowd gathered more outside the building and a few at the front of the store, around the cashier.  It would be okay - I could handle it.  

      Pat, of course, was totally the opposite of me.  He glibly ran at any and all kinds of action, and this being no different, I lost sight of him almost immediately.  I turned my attention to the bins and displays, allowing myself to relax despite the edge of activity that I was so desperately trying to ignore.  Stoned Jesus was oozing through the air as I moved down towards the more vintage stuff, my eyes landing on a familiar cover.  I reached for it just as sharp, overly feminine laughter struck my ears in the worst way.

     “No, seriously,”  a coarse velvet voice invaded my space while flirting with the girls.  “You’ll be there right?  Tonight?  Come on. Come to our show…”

      I looked up just in time to see two long haired men, one a few inches taller than the other, guiding two very blushed out girls that are probably just wrapping up their freshman year.  The four were giggling and flirty and just way too loud.  I tried to turn my attention back to the album I had between my fingers: Deep Purple’s debut album. One of the girls literally squealed as the two men played along with them - not in a weird way, but just that frat boy manner that demanded their attention.  I watched as they walked with the girls to the door with flyers in their hands and huge smiles and promises of being out that night.  The taller one actually did the little toodles wave as the other retreated quickly.  I caught how he rolled his eyes as if disgusted with his own act.  Those chocolate brown eyes landed on me and he immediately straightened up as if he was caught being out of character.

      I looked back at the crowd in search of Patrick, but couldn’t find him anywhere.  For a moment, my insides flared with panic.  He was still there.  He was amongst the twenty or so people that were packed into the front of the shop.  I knew it, I just couldn’t tell the bubble of anxiousness that had attacked my stomach to back the fuck off.  I took a breath before returning my gaze to the record in my hands.

     “That is a fantastic album,”  a smooth voice, with just a hint of rasp and Michigan sass filled my ears.

      I turned to discover those lush, chocolate eyes were on me and he was standing at an arm's length away.  I nodded and gave him a small grin. “Yeah. I have this at home, just not this edition,”  I said before I set it back in the bin and turned away.

      ELO’s “Evil Woman” started to leak from the speakers.  I sighed upon hearing it - that over the top intro hit something just right, every time.  I didn't expect the pretty eyed man to stick around, but when I reached for another cover, he watched for what I was reaching for.

      “If you have another edition of that one,”  he started with a knowing look, “that means that you have a Gatefold.  The one from Germany, U.K…?”

      I grinned wider as I really looked into his face.  He was pretty.  Between a subtle cleft to his chin and a set of full lips, his expression was warm and welcoming.  There seemed to be a familiarity between him and the taller man, but he seemed to have a more mature quality to him that drew me in almost immediately.  

     “South Africa,”  I answered, watching as his eyes glitter with respect.

     “Nice,”  he said, his voice soft and almost whispered.

     I set the unseen album back in the bin, knowing it was shitty and not worth my time.  I moved down the next row with him tailing behind.  I saw him take interest in a blues album as I spotted another possibility - a Neil Young that had gotten damaged in my last move.  I feel him, though he remains at a distance.  He’s not much taller than myself, but perhaps it’s his personality, or just his presence, that makes him seem much bigger than he actually is.  His hair is almost fluffy as it rests just below his shoulders.  The tip of his nose was sharp and begging to be booped in the best way.  His mouth was sinful and I know I stared at it way too long.

     I tore my eyes away just as he looked up.  I was sure he'd caught me looking, again.   I couldn’t seem to help it.  He was totally magnetic.  His lips stretched into a smile - an honest smile, not like the production bull shit he had been feeding those college girls.  I held my album up just to see his reaction, and was rewarded with a few hummed notes of a deep cut that I knew well.

      “I guess I should ask about those flyers you’re tossing around,”  I said, putting back the Young and turning towards him fully.

      “We just released an EP,”  he said, his attention on another album that was closer to my spot.  He reached close to me, but then seemed to think the better of it.  “We’re playing tonight at Paul’s Pub.  You should come.  I think you may like it.”

      I pursed my lips with thought.  We were no strangers to Paul’s.  The bar was a staple in our group from the time we were all starting out in school.  I nodded, and looked back in search of Patrick once more.  I saw him emerge from the crowd, flier in hand and a look of wickedness in his eyes.  I turned my attention back to him, taking note that he was fingering an Otis Redding album.  

      His attention was snapped to the front of the shop and I saw his shoulders slump a bit as he began to shift back into his work.  “We’re third on the rotation.  Will you be there - about 9:00?”

     I shrugged as he started to move away.  “We’ll have to see.”

     I watched as his tight, dark wash skinny jeans walked away.  I finally let out the breath that I had been holding just as Pat stepped close to me.  

     “He gives big dick vibes, doesn’t he?”  he remarked as I leaned into him.

     “God, you’re such an ass sometimes,”  I scoffed just as I caught the man’s eye as he turned to look back at me over his shoulder.

      “But I’m right,”  Patty said quietly.  “I guess we’ll be starting out at Paul’s tonight.”

      I flashed him my biggest, gooeyest doe eyes possible.  “Please??”

     “Only if I can buy that outfit for you,”  he replied, eyes narrowed down to slits.  “No t-shirt and shitty jeans.  You’re going out in proper attire for a proper fucking celebration!”

      He talked me into the whole shebang.  I marched into Paul’s on Patrick’s arm dressed in the skirt that fell just below the knee with a slit that reached all the way up to my hip bone.  A loose, sleeveless poet shirt with a plunge neck with a shit ton of ruffles that billowed against my breasts made me feel more than whorish in a very pretty girl way.  I had let my hair spill down my back, but pulled up the sides with a jeweled tie.  I looked hot, and I knew it.  I could feel it.  But the moment that we reached the friends, I knew I was by far not the best looking in the room - that was reserved for Jordan with her raven black hair and crystal blue eyes and stupid perfect skin.  I wasn’t even second in our group - second was Sidney with her perfect ash blonde locks that curled at the ends and her doe eyes that made anyone stop and stare.  Bitches.  But I loved them and knew most of it was a ruse because they had intelligence on their side - they just used their looks for good shit.

      It had been months since I had seen the group.  We took our time catching up as the crowd in Paul’s grew.  The pub was old-school cool with its weathered wood and dark lighting, dark atmosphere, and dark decor.  It was the largest of the bars that we would visit on the night, sporting a full stage and enough room to cram in close to two hundred and fifty patrons in the main space, while the patio could hold another hundred souls easily.  

      I noticed that the bar was getting crowded while the stage was being switched over.  I glanced at my phone, but Patty grabbed my wrist in his grip with a hard glare.

      “Better not be working,”  he growled as took my phone away.  

      “Why are we even starting here anyway?”  Joey whined as he was handing out glasses of beer.  “We always start at Benny’s.”

      “Oh,”  Patrick chuckled.  “There’s a guy Y/n wants to fuck in the next band.”

      Suddenly, I had eight sets of eyeballs on me.  I shrugged.  “What?”

      Everyone looked back at Pat and his wicked assed grin that he was beaming at me.  “Come on, punkin.  Just admit that you let me dress you all up because you’re looking to get-”

      “HEY!”  Sidney shoved him in the chest before my dearest friend on the planet could finish.  

      The group laughed and I just sipped at my lovely Tito’s + cranberry like I was the most virginal bitch on the planet.  I watched as the tall one from earlier and another were setting up the drum kit – a white kit with a Greta Van Fleet emblazoned on the kick face.  I caught Pat talking to the rest about meeting the dark haired one and said he was really quite cool.  I turned my attention away from the stage and instead ventured into actual conversation with the friends.  We were, after all, celebrating my accomplishment.  I was going to be a graphic editor for an actual fucking company that was willing to bank on my skills, and pay me quite well.  I was the first of the group to reach their goal.  I was also the only one to actually be done with graduate school and had been working already for nearly 18 months in the real world.  Of course, Sidney wasn’t having it, knowing right well that I was avoiding what Patty had started.

      “Who’s the guy?  What the hell does he play?  Name?”  she grilled across her bottle of beer.

      “Pretty.  Don’t know what he does in the band.  Have no name.”  I summed it up in three tiny sentences and a smile.

      She looked at me like I had two heads until her eyes moved to the stage and latched onto the tall, lanky one.  “Well, if he’s indicative of those two…”

      I grinned and turned my attention back to the stage.  He was the damn guitarist.  He was plugging into the amp and storming his fingers across the frets.  My eyes were instantly locked on him as he nodded to his bandmates as they all started to warm up.  A fourth prowled between them all, mic in hand shouting a hearty “Good evening!” like it was a damn arena.  I glanced at Pat and he just watched me with a grin and knowing nod.  I whispered a fuck as I looked back at them.  He was dressed all in black - black boots, black, skin tight jeans, black button up that was cropped at his tummy and buttoned only by one button.  His chest was bare save a grouping of necklaces that bounced gently against the tanned skin.  He was seductive to look at.  I sipped at my drink as they slid into a song that made everyone stop what they were doing to take notice of the upstarts on stage.  They had a swagger that made me smile wide.  Fucker was right - I did like it by the end of the first song.

       “Fucking Zeppelin wannabes,”  Joe jabbed with a snarl.

       I rolled my eyes.  Figures.  I knew from the gossip Patrick had told me, Joe was in the middle of a break up with a real twat.  I could extend him some leeway, but only so far.  Pat told him that the next round was on him, since the rest of the crew decided they liked the band.  I was spellbound as they tore through their set.  The whole pub was bouncing and just absorbing everything the band fed them.  The band had something that was endearing, but was rooted in a raw talent that was very clear.  

       I felt the heat of the pub swell around me and the energy that was fostered by them was electric.  They were fun.  They were certainly sexy.  The singer belted across the crowd effortlessly, hitting notes that sent shivers down the spine and elevated the soul a few notches.  There was a guitar solo in every damn song, but he was masterful in how he baited the crowd and kept them with him as he sped through an effortless performance.  The bassist was flawless as he strutted around like on a damn cloud.  Mr. Shoulders at the kit would’ve grabbed my attention, but he oozed - for lack of a better way of saying it - big dick confidence, and it had me by the pussy.

      I barely registered that Joe had taken my empty glass and replaced it with a new one.  He scoffed but Patty just told him to fuck off.  I was enraptured.  It was like he was reaching through my body and taking everything from every cell in me, but filling it with something that just evoked absolute joy, tinged with a heavy dose of heathen thoughts that needed to be quelled.  My core was quivering with need while my brain felt like it was on absolute fire with him.  

      “What the actual fuck was that?”  Sidney remarked as the crowd cheered for more when their set was finished.  “Just…”

      I realized that most of the group was just as blown over as I was.  I took a slow swallow of my drink, closing my ringing and pulsing ears as the friends started to debate our crawl for the night.  I didn't care much - just as long as we had our time together.  I was only here through tomorrow night before I had to head for St. Paul.  I knew in the back of my brain, most of these people I would not see again.  I needed to make it count.

      Twenty minutes of bickering later, I grabbed Patrick by the collar and shouted over the din of people that I needed water and not to leave without me.  He kissed my cheek with a promise to stay until I was back.  Yeah.  I totally believed that one, but I snaked my way through the crowd to the bar.  It was insane that the energy of the show still flowed through the space, leaving the closing act to really bust balls to top their act.  I stood patiently, one hand waiting on the bartop in order to keep my spot amongst those that had far less patience than me.  

      “Beers for the band!”  one of the bartenders called out with a pointed finger a few spots down from me.

      “Thanks man!”  a familiar rasp struck my ear.

      I turned to look over my shoulder to see him; hair plastered to his throat and damp with sweat, still in his show outfit, but his shirt is totally open.  I can feel my chin dip as my eyes widen upon him.  He wiped a towel across his brow before shoving it into his back pocket.  The word ‘sexy’ was not strong enough to describe what he gave off at that moment.  I am not ashamed that I had to wipe at my lip to keep the drool at bay.  His sparkle filled eyes turned in my direction and paused for a moment until it changed to recognition that caught me by surprise.

       “Deep Purple!”  he called, his mouth parting in a smile that knotted my guts painfully.  “Is that you?!”

       I laughed as he had to go around like twenty people to move a few steps to meet me at my side.  His eyes raked across my body, taking me in.  I’m sure it was a far cry from the poorly cut off shorts and shitty top from earlier.  

      “It’s me,”  I cooed as he reached my side.

      For a moment, I lost myself in his gaze.  I was instantly overwhelmed by his appeal.  The spell was broken as the bartender set an icy bottle of water at my fingers along with change.  He let out a soft laugh that almost seemed nervous.

      “Did you catch the show?”

      “I did.  You were right - I liked it.”

      He flashed a cocky smile as his eyes dipped to my outfit once more.  “Celebrating?”

      I nodded as I took a drink of water.

     “Anything in particular?”

     I can’t help the buzz of energy that hits me as I smile huge and trilled, “ME!  We’re celebrating ME tonight.”

     “Oh my,”  he said, his tone dropping into a panty incinerating level.  “Occasion?”  

     “New job, new life, new city, new everything,”  I answered with a happy nod.

     “Amazing…”

     Patrick’s notification blared and my cheeks pink a bit as I fumbled for my phone.  I uttered a sharp ‘Fuck’ as I see they’re at the door and needed to get my ass out of there or be left behind.  “I gotta go,”  I said, disappointment in my voice.

      “Ah, don’t go…”

      “Friends are heading to the next bar.”

      “Are you crawling?”  he asked, his hand on my arm to slow me down.

      I nodded and turned away.  Fuck them.  Why do I have to go…?  Did they not—  Fuck.  Sometimes I hate my cockblocking friends.

     Marklowe’s Tiki Bar banked on its Carribbean themed décor and bright colors that splashed across the walls and floor to the huge tiki covered bar set a super loud atmosphere, while the ginormous umbrella drinks made for a good landing place to just be idiotic.  I ground down on Patrick’s thigh to the worst manufactured music ever, but loved every moment of it.  The friends were bouncing around like it was their last night on the planet.  Because each drink was the size of four, and were the cost of six, we kept our time in the tiki to a minimum.  Jordan dragged me to the ladies room while the others were finishing up their drinks.  As I was fixing my lipstick, she was talking about the job that was drawing her away back home to Houston.  I could hear her stress over leaving Sidney behind.  She was trying to rationalize waiting a year for her closest friend to graduate.  I knew it was just fear talking.  She would take that job and do very well as she worked towards her goal of being a partner in her mother’s law firm.  I watched as she pulled out her phone with a scoff.

     “They are heading for the door,”  she groaned.  “Fuckers.  It’s like they want to sprint across the district tonight.”

     I was the first to push my way out of the restroom, only to stumble over my own toes in my rush, running right against someone.  Looking up, I felt my face blush as I was met with the rich chocolate eyes of the guitarist.  He helped me upright, moving me flush against his frame.  His hands drifted down my arms as all I could do was stare at him as his smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

      Just as Jordan’s hand wrapped around my wrist he asked, “Still having fun?”

      I turned my body back towards his as Jordan started to drag me away.  “Absolutely!”  I called out.

      I could not look away from the smirk that he shot me.  Jordan gave me a look that could melt steel as we passed the bar in a near rush to catch up to the friends.

     “Good god, girl!  That’s the guitar player,”  she said, unable to contain the bomb of her surprise.

     I smiled wide as I looked back behind me once again, just able to see where he had been.  “Pretty, right?”

     Maxie’s Singing Bar continued the stupidity of the evening by adding karaoke to the mix.  Patrick was insisting on singing with Sidney, so we waited.  And waited more.  I nestled into Patrick’s side, trying to avoid the barrage of questions about apartments, and the job, and ‘why the hell are you going to fucking St. Paul?’  I found myself being coy because, seriously?  I was about to start getting some serious chops in my field, with a damn fine salary to boot.  

      “Come on, punkin.  Let’s get another round of drinks,”  Patrick replied as he slid out from the glittery plastic booth.  

      He held my hand all the way up to the bar.  “You can’t let them get the better of you, Y/n,”  he said as we waited.  “They don’t get it.  You’re the first one of us to grow the fuck up.”

     The idea of being on a plan with one of those little paper bags shoved on my face was not appealing.  I was silently begging for no hangover, despite the spin of alcohol in my veins.  I just… Ugh.  I spaced out as he ordered the round.  My brain was fighting lists of stuff that I had packed weeks ago, along with movers and my parents flying in over the following weekend to ensure I was set up right.  I desperately fought off the sudden urge to ask to leave.  Patrick had asked to stop her when we were planning out the night.  I knew it was probably the one time that he could cut loose with the ever lovely Sidney - the object of his eternal pining, although he would never openly admit it to anyone other than me.     

      I was startled as the bartender set a glass of ice water at my elbow.  I smiled up at him.  “Thank you, sweetheart.”

      “You’re so old,”  he teased as I batted my eyelashes at him.

      “Why, just because I refuse to be sick off my ass tomorrow?”  I asked before taking another drink.

      He wrapped me up in a hug, holding onto me for a beat too long.  

      “Ugh, what the fuck is up with you tonight,”  I scoffed as I made a face at him.

      “What?”  he asked, feigning innocence.

      “You’re like extra touchy feely and shit.”  I noticed his gaze turned to Sidney and it’s like watching all of that man’s insides turn to absolute goo.  I sighed deeply.  “I don’t think it’s a good idea, Patty.”

      “Why the fuck not?”  he asked, instantly defensive.

      “I’m not telling you not to, just - she’s more focused than I am,”  I reasoned, tracing figure 8s in the condensation on my glass.  “You want way more than what she’s willing to give to anyone, including you, handsome.”

       He didn’t say anything.  I felt terrible as I realized I had just deflated him completely.  I threaded my fingers through his and gave him a little squeeze.

       “Maybe I just need to take what I can to get the fuck over it,”  he said directly in my ear, the heat of his body matching the pain in his words.

       “You’re better than that, dick,”  I grumbled just as a bartender started to put up our order.

      “Patty!”  Sidney called as she strutted towards the stage and mics.  

      It was a rare moment of stillness that my dearest friend handed to me.  My heart broke for him.  

      He nodded as he reached for a shot that had been set before him and downed it.  “Love you.  You got all this?”

       I watched as he strolled towards her, putting back his persona on like it was his armor.  Looking back at the bartop, I groaned.  “No, I don’t got this, fucker.”

      I tried to get Jordan’s attention, but she was too far up Joe’s ass to bother looking at me waving like a lunatic.  As I’m turning back to the bar to see if I can spy a tray, my eyes caught on the front door as the guitarist and his group walked in.  I froze, taking in what he was wearing - the dark washed skinny jeans, boots and a chopped dark red t-shirt.  His wrists were filled with bracelets and there’s a long necklace that falls just below his pecks.  A soft breath escapes me as his eyes seem to lock right on mine and the cocky smile greets me.  I had no way to actually run, and could only watch as he approached, all full of swagger. 

       “Okay, third run in; time for introductions.  I’m Jake,”  he said as he approached, hand out as if he’s going to shake my hand formally.

       “Well, counting the record store, it’s the fourth run in,”  I remarked with a grin before I gave him my name and my hand.

      Instead of shaking it, however, he turned his palm up, passing the pad of his thumb across my knuckles as he leans in against the bar.  He had me so distracted that I did not see Pat reach across my blindside for his and Sidney’s drinks.

       “We’re up!”  he nearly squealed, retreating quickly.

       “Make it super slutty!”  I shouted after him.

       Suddenly, because of the shift, I came up nose to nose with the newly introduced Jake.  He tried to back up, but was trapped.  I tried to move back, but there was nowhere to go either.  A deep blush swept across my face as he let out a gentle laugh over our dilemma.  I instantly breathed him in - all tobacco, sandalwood, lavender and him.  His hands caught my arms to steady me and I let out a nervous giggle.  A fucking giggle.  As if it couldn’t get worse - it did.  Patrick and Sidney started belting out “Love in an Elevator” in the most sleazy manner possible.  I let out an absolute cackle before I could catch myself.

        Jake’s eyes popped wide as he took in the scene unfolding behind me and I can only assume Patrick took my ‘slutty’ suggestion to the absolute max.  I looked over my shoulder to find the pair grinding against each other in a nearly illegal manner.

       “Oh my god,”  I breathed, instantly trying to delete the sight from my eyes.  I reached for the closest drink and took it down as fast as I could, only to find that it was my water.  “Fucking figures.”

      I regrouped and grabbed my beer and took a long, soothing swallow.  He was watching me fumble the entire time, a smirk plastered on his mouth and those damn eyes just full of heat.  “Sorry, that whore friend of mine is under the impression he needs to blow my life up at any given moment of every damn day.”

      As if she knew that he was close, Jordan magically realized that I needed help with the drinks.  I was shifting glasses around to make room for Jake’s order of beers and tequila shots as she sauntered up, tits out and hips swaying like she’s walking down a catwalk.  

      “That’s all right,”  Jake replies, downing a shot with barely a grimace.  “I’ve got three like that myself.  At least you’re not related to any of them like I am.”

      My brow furrowed as I set my beer down.  “I was not getting Jonas Brothers vibes from you guys.”

      His laugh was warm and inviting.  “Damn, I hope not.”

      “Hey-”  Jordan called, leaning in close.  “I’ll take what I can.”

      I started handing over drinks, trying not to notice that she was trying to flash her amazing cleavage as she bent slightly into Jake.  I couldn’t help the smug feeling when I realized that his eyes were either directly on me, or his own beer.  She tapped the side of my foot before she made her way back to the table.  

     “Rude to keep us waiting, Jacob.”  Another set of hands were reaching across his chest.

     It was then that I noticed the similar ridge of cheekbones, the jawline, the mouth…  I looked back at Jake and he must’ve seen what I found confusing.

     “Twin,”  he said with a little eye roll.

     “Identical,”  the other said with a little huff.  “Hi, I’m Josh.”

     My eyebrows shot up as the brother started walking off towards their table.  “So not Jonas Brothers, but The Proclaimers?”

     “Oh fuck no,”  he laughed before taking another drink of his beer.  “Are they supposed to be doing that?”

     It was at that second that I realized Sidney and Patrick are no longer singing.  I lock on Jake’s eyes and freeze.  “I don’t know if I want to know…”

     Why had I looked back at the stage?  Why did I have to be a witness to such an event?  I wanted nothing more than to grab hold of the cheapest bottle of behind the bar and douse my eyeballs with it.  

     “Ew,”  I flinched as I turned back towards the guitarist, finding the space even more crammed and my hands were now on his very nice, very firm chest.  I looked up into his face and he had this endearing look like he’s about to…  Yup, he graciously wrapped a hand around my hip holding me close.  My brain was just on the verge of rupture when I heard Jordan chirping about what was happening before them.

      “I take it that’s not a good thing,”  he whispered against my ear.

      “Not really, no,”  I sighed, nearly against his mouth as his lips part.

      I wanted to fall into his mouth and lose myself in his touch.  I was so damn close until I saw Jordan and Sidney fly out past us and the rest of the group straggling behind.  I looked behind me and found a very upset Patrick, collecting their glasses and heading for the bar.  I watched as he set the glasses down on the bartop and headed towards the door without a look at me.

      “I fucking hate drama,”  I sighed.

      His hand tightened on my hip, bringing my attention back to him.  I looked into his handsome face and smiled sadly.  I puffed my cheeks out and shook my head.

      “Just when this was getting interesting,”  I replied, drawing a little squiggle against the skin just under his collar bone.  “I better catch up with them.”

      “You want me to -”

      “Naw,”  I said as I finally stepped away from him, instantly regretting the distance.  “This is probably gonna get messy.”

      “Maybe I’ll see you again,”  he said with a soft grin.

      I shyly tucked a hair behind my ear.  “I hope so.”

      I didn’t bother with a fast walk to try to catch up with them.  Patrick was waiting just outside the door, smoke in hand and a mournful look etched across his features.

      “What the hell, Patrick?”  I scolded as I stole his smoke for a drag.  

      “Fucking Jordan,”  he grumbled, rubbing his hands across his face.  “Why would she do that?”

      “I don’t know, Pat - maybe because you two fucked way back when…”

      “Maybe.  That was a ‘maybe’.  We have no idea if we did or not.”

      “If you wake up naked by each other, it’s pretty likely you did, you whore.”

      I couldn’t stop my anger at that moment.  The night was supposed to be about the friends - it was supposed to celebrate me getting the fucking job that I had dreamed about; the job I had worked my ass off for.  I did not hide my disappointment.

      “They just went into Benny’s,”  I said, seeing Joe waving at us from the corner.

      “I don’t want to be there,”  he said quietly.

      I rolled my eyes like a bad friend.  It wasn’t even Sidney that put him off.  She was…  I didn’t really want to even think about it.  He knew - Pat had to know that it would be short term.  I just didn’t even want to broach that possibility.  Was he willing to hurt himself just to say he had some time with her?  That just broke my heart a little more for him.

      “Fine.  How about we get some coffee and sit out Benny’s,”  I suggested, tugging on his sleeve.  “Come on.  My treat.”

      I sat with my dearest friend on the planet as he processed what had happened.  I listened to him as he knew - he just knew that it would be better to know than to always wonder.  It wasn’t like she was plastered out of her mind.  She had actually leaned in first and he just couldn’t stop the moment she touched him.  

      “It will never be what you want it to be,”  I said quietly, holding the cup tight.  “Sid has such an entrenched idea of what she wants to do, Patty.  She hasn’t had anyone with any permanence ever.  What you have to offer, alluring as it is, it’s not what she’s looking for.  At least not right now.”

      He let out a long breath.  “I love the way she fucking tastes.  How can I-”

      “Stop.”

      He nodded, getting my drift.  He fiddled with the handle of his empty mug.  I could feel him returning to normal, even though I knew he was hurting.  I reached across the table and took his hand in mine to give a little squeeze.

      I flipped my phone over to discover that Joe had sent a text that they were moving onto the pool hall.  I loved playing pool.  I sucked at playing pool, but I loved playing it.  I put on my doe eyes with every intention of yanking my friend along with me if I had to.  He smiled and seemed to find his resolve.  We walked hand in hand to the end of the drag, finding everyone seemed to have the same idea.  The pool hall was packed and I knew it was going to be impossible to get a table.  Joe shouted out from a high top table that they had crowded around.  

     I saw Jordan and Sidney were already at the bar.  I texted Sid our arrival and kept my eyes on her when she looked at her phone.  Her eyes immediately move over to us, specifically Patrick.  Hmm.  Interesting.  Perhaps her lack of steady company was not necessarily due to a singular focus on finishing college with a 4.0.  What more, Pat’s gaze on her and it just feels - good.  I smiled as Joe offered me his seat in order to stand.  His voice was loud and liquor happy.  No doubt he would be sobbing about the ex soon enough.  

     We fell into being normal once again.  Jordan and Sidney returned with the round and we got back to our celebratory vibe.  My ear caught the music across the room - someone had actually taken time to curate something good from the jukebox as some more obscure Black Sabbath worked across the din of the packed house.  I sipped at my Tito’s + cranberry, trying to pay attention to those with me instead of the idea of being rudely interrupted from having time with the luscious Jake.  The frustration of it made me squeeze my thighs just a bit as my long neglected core wept for attention.

      We must’ve been in the hall for about an hour when we started getting antsy.  No tables were opening up - at all.  Sidney was leaning into Patrick’s shoulder and their hands were tightly together.  Jordan was talking rapidly, Joe had his eyes on the ceiling.  Things felt like they would spiral out of control at any moment.

      “Hey, Y/n - isn’t that guy in that other guy’s band?”  Sidney asked, her brows raised like she was trying hard to put her thoughts together.  “I mean, isn’t that the singer of that band?”

      I followed where she’s pointing, and sure enough, there was Josh with the tall drummer right behind him, carrying a couple of empty pitchers.  I felt a little stutter in my chest as I looked around the room.  

      “Hey, punkin,”  Patrick called to me, capturing my attention once more.  “Help me at the bar, yeah?”

      I knew what he was doing.  Fucker.  I slid out of the tall chair and held his hand as we made our way out for another round.  I couldn’t help the little flutter of possibility that Jake would be in the room somewhere.  If his hands on me earlier was an indicator, I had a glimmer of a chance of something to finish out the celebration - maybe?  Patty got us to the bar, close enough to the two but far enough away to not appear like I was trolling them or anything weird like that.  

      We watched as the bartenders flew around that bar space.  They were beyond busy.  From the corner of my eye, I saw that Josh and the drummer were reaching for fresh pitchers.  Just as they were moving away, Josh stopped.  

      “Shit come on,”  I heard him say sharply.  “You can’t stay just a little longer?”

       I turned to look at the pair to see Jake had joined them.  Was he leaving?  Fuck.  No.  Okay.  I could be totally smooth about this, right?  Pat was leaned over the bar to give our order and was totally unaware of my awkwardness to give me any help at all.  I was a big girl.  I could do this.  Just one foot in front of the other.  Just move the damn feet…

       I ducked in between the crowd and started in his general direction, hoping that he’d catch my eye before I’m right on top of them.  Just as I was about to chicken out, those searing brown eyes touched my face and stopped.  The other two glanced over and Josh patted Jake's chest before walking away with beer filled pitchers towards the pool tables.

       “Fifth time charm?”  he asked as he closed the space.  “Drama over?  You look to have survived.”

        I smiled wide as he drew so close I could breathe him in.  My brain caught fire with all of him as he reached out, his fingers brushed against my arm until he took my hand in his.  “Yes,”  I answered, trying not to shout over the loudness of the space.  “Drama over.  Last stop of the night, but we’ve already been waiting on a table for over an hour.”

      “We’ve got a table,”  he said, brows pulling together as he looked back in the direction of the far back corner.  “We don’t mind sharing.  Wanna join in?”

      I glanced around at Pat at the bar and the friends at the high top.  Just to get away from the crowded singular table would be nice.  I see Patrick step away from the bar with another pitcher and in need of help with glasses held in his paw of a hand.  I raise a finger to Jake and try to help the best I can.

      “Oh, look who you found,”  he remarked as Jake moved towards us.

      “We’ve got a table.  Tell this friend of yours we are more than happy to share,”  Jake said, taking a couple of the drinks from Pat.

       “Yeah, friend.  If he wants to share and all…”  

       Jake tightened his hold on my hand with a little tug, as if I would say ‘no’.  Jake took off in one direction, Pat in the other to retrieve the group.  I’m being guided along, eyes planted on the ass encased in denim that leaves me knowing that I’m a terrible person for the thoughts that are suddenly raging through my skull.  The man’s thighs were making me drool as he turned to the side to slide between people, making sure that I was still with him, even though he held my hand tight.  I grinned at him, careful not to drop my own drink as we bobbled through the crowd.

        Their table was at the very back of the pool hall - the farthest from the bar, but took advantage of a bartop that followed the corner and provided plenty of space to accommodate everyone.  I quietly hoped that Joey would be polite and keep his sour take on their music to himself.  Patrick was in the lead with the others trailing behind.  Introductions were fast, with Sam and Josh and Danny blending in right away.  A new game was racked and underway within moments.  I stood to the side, watching Pat and Sidney on the other side of the table just stay close to each other.  There was a vibe there that was hard to not see.

        “After that last place, I thought for sure my chance was used up,”  Jake remarked, eyes on me with a smile in place.  “Looks like whatever drama there was, love prevailed, huh?”

        I felt my smile spread as I tilted my head.  It was hard not to feel a bit squishy over how he put the soon to be very brief love affair between friends.  “Yeah,”  I said quietly.  “For now at least.”

       It was just fun to drink and play pool and be stupid with these four men.  Jake and Pat teamed up against Sidney and Joey.  I sat back as I watched that man look very sexy sprawled on the pool table, ass and thighs on display and I just couldn’t look away.  And he knew it.  He so knew that I was blazing holes into his flesh with my eyes in the most disrespectful manner possible.  What more, the way his eyes passed across my skin etched paths that I so wanted him to explore.

       The next game, Jake was looped into playing with Sam against Jordan and Joe.  Pat asked me to join him for a smoke, and the guitarist watched as I blew him a kiss and followed my friend.  The clock was edging closer to two as he handed me a cigarette and waited for me to light it.

      “That man wants to tear you up, love,”  he said calmly, with a face that fought to keep straight.  “I think I’ve lost count how many times Jordan has tried to get his attention, but he only has eyes for you, Y/n.”

       I got a grin that I cannot hide, so I don’t bother.  I let out a tight breath before taking a long drag.  “Yeah and you and Sid are looking pretty damn cozy.”

       “It just feels good,”  he replied, eyes falling down on the sidewalk.

       “You’re going to have to have a serious conversation before you lose in this, Patrick,”  I said firmly.  “I won’t be here to pick up your pieces.  I can’t handle thinking that you’re hurting on your own.”

       “I know.  You’re right.”

       I flipped my hair over my shoulder as a warm summer breeze struck my frame.  I was going to miss it in Ann Arbor.  I had been missing it terribly, already.  Lansing was…  well.  It was Lansing.  

       “So, what are you going to do?  I don’t think I can watch you flirt with that man without any kind of outcome,”  he said with a silly grin.  “I mean it’s so obvious he’s interested.”

       I shrugged.  “Not sure.”

      “Bull shit.”

      I looked up at my friend, finding support.  He’d never judge me for what I wanted to do, even if it were to be a one night stand with the most gorgeous man.  Hell, even if that man was okay looking, I could count on Pat to just respect the fact I was doing something to make myself happy.  

      “Look, if I were you - hell, if you don’t, maybe I will - but,”  he started, letting out a laugh that filled me with confidence, “I think you need to march that ass in there and tell that man exactly what you want from him and see what happens.  I bet you he runs you out of here in ten seconds flat.”

      I rolled my eyes and took the last drag of my smoke.  Following Patty back inside, I was trying to think about how to sugar coat what I was going to say to Jake.  By the time we got all the way to the back of the room, and my eyes fell onto him leaned up against the bartop, feet crossed at the ankles, face relaxed, eyes on fire, I just knew I needed to be as direct as possible.  I walked right up to him and he slid a hand across the small of my back as I leaned against his body.  I stared into his eyes, finding them welcoming.  His lips parted as I brush mine against his as I push past to land next to his ear.

       “I’m getting my ass out of here - new town, new life,”  I whispered, fighting the urge to lap at his earlobe.  “Will you be the end of my night?  Help me celebrate?”

       I feel his body shift fractionally as he brings his other hand up to rest between my shoulder blades, nearly locking me in place against him.  Our mouths were not touching anything, but just passing along as if mapping out where to kiss, where to taste, where to…  His tongue passed across his bottom lip as he stood up fully, threading his fingers with mine.

       “Danny,”  he called out.  “You’re good bunking with them other two?”

      He didn’t even wait for an answer, just started walking out with me in tow.  I could hear Patty’s cackle behind us.  The exhilaration that had begun to pump through my chest nearly made me choke.  We reached outside and he paused, eyes trailing up and down the street.

      “Where are you staying?”  I asked as we started to cross the street.

      He points at an older hotel that is just down the way and I am thankful I will not have to wait too much longer.  He held the door open for me and we crossed the abandoned lobby towards the elevator.  After a minute of waiting, he shook his head, the tell of his own impatience.  He chuckled as he spun us to the stairs.

      “I’m just on the second floor anyway,”  he said, once again holding the door for me.  

      Before my foot landed on the stair, he held me back, turning me to face him.  God, he was pretty as he crashed into me, his mouth hard as he nearly consumed me in our kiss.  Our hands were everywhere all at once as we fumbled up the stairs.  I gasped as my back met the wall at the landing.  His hands were on my face and in my hair and on my hips, and on my…  FUCK this man seemed to be as thirsty for touch as I was.  His mouth on my throat made me moan a bit too loud.  It was enough to make us move up the stairs once more, but two steps up, we were searching for touch again.  I nearly tumbled as I yanked him towards me so I could start to rip at his belt.  He caught me, crashing his mouth into mine, fingers pressed into my hair with a soft groan as I released the leather bind of his jeans.

       There was no hiding intent.  We banged down the hall, bumping into walls, furniture; unable to break from each other’s touch.  He held me close as he slid the key card into the room’s lock.  I sucked on his ear lobe, laughing as he couldn’t get the timing right to push down the door handle when the lock unlatched.  It took two tries before he finally grumbled and had to push me back just a bit to get us inside.  

       The room was not remarkable, even though the only thing in my head was him.  His fingers caught the slit of the skirt and tucked inside as I feasted on his tongue.  He barely brushed the boyshorts I was wearing and growled wickedly when he found I was drenched through the cotton of the garment.  

       “Ready for this, aren’t you?”  he asked as I nearly ripped off his shirt to reveal miles of his skin for me to mark and explore.

       “Honestly, if you don’t get that monster in you pants in me right now, I may have to-”

       He grabbed my hips and spun my ass around and bent me over the desk chair, forcing my hands down onto the seat.  “You think I’ve got a monster dick?”

       I whined a bit as he jacked up my skirt and slid down my panties, giving me a hearty pinch across my bottom.  He was humming as he planted a kiss directly on the dip of the small of my back.  I felt him lean back and hear the tear of something.  I looked back to see him taking out a condom and rolling across what I had suspected all along - fucking monster sized cock was about to send me into orbit.

       “Like that, do you?”  he asked, voice husky as he rolled the latex across his length.  “Big enough?”

       I didn’t hide it, I licked the drool from the corner of my mouth with a pitiful moan.  “You gonna fuck me good with that, aren’t you…”

       A sound between a moan and a chirp pounds itself from my throat as he lines himself up against me.  “Be a good girl now.  This is all for you.”

       He had me clenching around him on the first thrust.  He was playing me like his cherry red guitar, eliciting sounds from me that I had never made before.  The stretch and sting was top tier as he set a pace that was like one of his guitar solos.  He had one hand on my clit while the other pressed against my spine, dipping under the thin fabric of my shirt and pushing it up, as if relishing each bump and twist of my bones until my shirt was pushed up and over my head to pool at my wrists.  I was full on panting as he stood me up, still buried deep within me.  I shoved the chair aside as he bit into my ear and throat.  I was pressed to the desk, cheek down on the laminate with my feet kicked wide so he could have even better access to my pussy.  He brought one hand down to palm my ass and he ruthlessly pinched at my breast as he plowed forward.  I looked back at him to find his eyes hard on me, his mouth open with a feral breath.

       “I will suck that cock tonight,”  I demanded, pushing my ass back on him.

       “Holy fuck you will,”  he concurred, digging his hands into my hips.

       He reached out, taking hold of my shoulder, slowing down to press into me so deep I thought for sure he would split me in half.  My face fell forward as I sighed over the new rhythm.  My skin became drenched in flame as he bent over me, lips on my bare shoulder.

       “Cum hard, pretty girl,”  he whispered before he flicked my earlobe with his tongue.

       My chest exploded as I collapsed forward fully on the desk as I sprayed my climax out onto him.  He let out a low groan as he came right after, pulsing into me a few more times before coming to a stop.  We both struggled to catch our breath.  He twitched and shuttered before he gently pulled himself from me.  His palm came down on my back with a whispered ‘stay here’.  

      By the time he returned, my breathing had gone from ‘holy shit I can’t breathe’ down to ‘I just finished power walking after that lush ass, sir’.   

      “This is going to be a little cold,”  he said before pressing a washcloth against my swollen cunt.  I barely flinched as he cleaned me up gently.  I started to reach for my panties, but he stopped me.  “I’m not done celebrating yet.  Are you?”

        I grinned as he shyly pressed a kiss to my forehead.  I watched as he moved back to the bathroom to clean up further.  

      “Why don’t you get out of that skirt and meet me on the bed, Y/n,”  he said when the water was turned off.

      “Which one is yours?”  I asked as I draped my clothes over the chair.

      “Uh…”  He strolled out of the bathroom, his own clothes over his arm, his cock flaccid but still impressive against his thigh.  He tossed his clothes on top of the now forgotten desk and steered me towards the bed by the window.  He pressed every inch of skin to mine as he kissed me, backing me up until we both fell onto the mattress.  

      To say we made out is an understatement.  I lost myself in his touch: his mouth, his hands, fuck his body.  Every press against me made me quiver with anticipation.

      “So,”  he said in between kisses to my mouth.  “New city?”

      “St. Paul,”  I answered before dragging his lip in between my teeth.

      “Job?”  

      “I’m joining a graphic arts company who contracts with venues for entertainment and corporate events,”  I said quietly.

      He paused and looked me in my face.  “I wouldn’t even know what you do, but it sounds like you’re going to work with the big talent in my field.”

      I shrugged.  “I will sometimes.”

      He kissed me hard once more, his hands sliding down my back.  I threaded my fingers in his hair as he kissed down my body.  I was already flooding between my thighs as he parted them to make room for himself.  He passed a callused finger across the stripe of downy curls, planting kisses to my hip and the top of my thigh.

      “I wasn’t planning on being close up ready,”  I whisper, blushing over the idea that I had not totally groomed down there for the night.  “Sorry…”

      He hummed, kissing down in between the curls.  “I like it,”  he sighed as he breathed in.  

      I watched as he placed a chaste kiss to each side of where my thighs met my labia.  I sucked in a breath as he brushed his lips against the delicate skin, his nose ghosting over the hair.  He smiled wickedly as he tongued my clit after pressing me open for his whim.  He rolled his eyes up on me, taking in how my breasts bounced a bit as my breath came a little faster.  He made eye contact as he sucked me in, circling my nub as he did so.  I squeaked.  I fucking squeaked and I am not ashamed that I squeaked.  He settled in and I had the bed cover knotted in my hand on the right, and tugging at his hair on the left.  He blew across the curls before rising up a bit, taking a moment to really look across my body.  I felt like a beautiful mess that he was laying claim to.  

       “Good?”  Jake asked, leaning his head against my thigh.

       “Yes,”  I sighed, unclenching my fingers against his scalp.  “So good.”

      The corner of his mouth tugged before he lowered down, sliding in one finger as he pushed his tongue against my entrance.  I released a gasp as he went into work.  My words got filthier the longer he worked my pussy.  He hummed, cooed, whispered against my flesh and I begged him for more.  I will not say that he was edging, but he would bring me to a high, only to gently let me down a bit before taking me higher than before.  It was a beautiful thing that this man was doing to me - it was worship and I accepted it wholeheartedly.

       “How about we shift to 69?”  I asked as he licked my slit.  

       He grinned as he pulled himself up and turned around to slide his arms under my thighs to yank me wide open for him.  I rolled his balls between my fingers as I nibbled on his thick tip before sinking him down my throat in a hard thrust.  

       “Holy fuck,”  he gasped, as I tugged him while hollowing out my cheeks to let him go with a pop.  

       “Good?”  I asked, trying to look around the heavy cock that was immediately growing hard against my hold.

       He nodded as he watched me do it all again.  I raised an eyebrow at him before I let him go again.

       “I need your words, cupcake,”  I said with sass in my tone.

       “You’re going to fucking kill me, aren’t you, Y/n?”  he muttered before pushing two fingers deep inside me with a firm curl to make me buck my hips.

       “No more than what you are doing to me,”  I gurgled the words before I began to love on him.

        The sounds I was able to draw out of him pulsed into my core and radiated up through my entire body.  Fuck this man was better than the little deaths he shot through me.  I drew his balls down before tucking a finger to the space behind them.  He jolted against me before settling back down.  I sucked him down hard before pressing into the spot again with purpose.  He let out a startled moan.  I let him fall out of my mouth, giving the base of his length little kitten licks to soothe him for a moment.

       “Don’t tell me no one has ever done this for you?”  I whispered, looking through my own tits at him.

       “No,”  he said quietly.

       “I can reward you so good for the head you just gave me,”  I said gently, tickling my finger across the space once more.  “But only if you want me to, Jake.”

       He lifts his frame a bit higher to come to rest his forehead on my pubic bone.  “You’d do that?”

       “Oh hell yes,”  I answered with a confident smile.  “But only if you want it.”

      His eyes narrowed a bit, watching as I continued to lick and lap at his shaft and base.  His breath was spiking with anticipation as he licked at his lips.  “Do it,”  he said, his voice filled with rasp.

      I took him back into my mouth hard, plunging him in and out quickly to cause the spit to build on my tongue.  He’s grinding into me until I hold his hips still, letting him fall from my lips and I scoot back a bit to spit into his already spread cheeks.  He gasped out a string of curses as I swirled my middle finger into his velvet.  I planted kisses to his thigh as I pumped his cock the best I can at the weird angle.  I watched his face as he relaxed, allowing me to sink my finger in slowly.  His jaw dropped as I blew across his balls.  He groaned as his cheek came back down on my thigh.  Both hands were gripping the bed cover tightly.  His eyes were shimmering with pleasure as I began to stroke in and out.  He sounded beautiful as I tried to see his face, but he’s angled so that I really couldn’t see him, like he was afraid he was going to crush me if he laid down flat.  

       “Jake?”  I asked, before pooling more spit in my mouth to blow it to his hole for more lube.

      “Oh my ever loving fuck…”  he ground out.

      I grinned before I leaned in a fraction, just close enough to lick at the base and his balls once more.  Suddenly, he came all over my chest - hard and loud.  In his surprise, he lifted himself, my finger still deep within him as if he just realized what had happened.  I withdrew and he hissed as he climbed away, cheeks blazing red.

       “Jake?”  I asked, afraid to move for fear of making a mess.  

      “Just stay right there,”  he said loudly.  “I’ll be right back!”

      I heard the water at the sink turn on and him deep breathing like he was in a panic.  He kept repeating himself,  “Come on, come on, come on, come on…”  

      I awkwardly crossed my legs and tried to be modest, but it was rather difficult with cum that was pooling and dripping off my chest.  He rushed back, and I could see he was absolutely flustered and more than a little embarrassed.

      “Hey,”  I said gently, trying to get his attention as he began to wipe at the mess.

      “Oh my god,”  he sighed as his cheeks reddened all the more.  “I’m so sorry I did that.  I - fuck…”

      “Hey, Jake,”  I repeated, reaching out and touching his arm to stop him.  “Why would you be sorry for that?  That was something beautiful.”

      “Well I fucking cummed on your tits like a two pump chump, Y/n,”  he remarked as he went back to wiping me off.  “What the hell…”

       “No,”  I said, catching his hand once again.  “Did it feel good?”

       “Well, obviously,”  he said sharply. “Maybe a little too good.”

       “No one’s done that for you.  You didn’t know what to expect.  Did you like it?”

       He stood up as I took his hand.  Finally, he made eye contact and the redness of his cheeks began to fade.  It was like he was realizing that I was not scolding him for cumming so fast.  He grinned before setting back into wiping himself off me.

       “I liked it,”  he admitted.  “I’m pissed that I couldn’t hold on for more.”

       I watched as he finished his part and I pushed myself up on my elbows.  “Well, is the celebration done yet?”

       He laughed.  Like threw his head back and laughed as I used his words.  He shook his head.  He said he’d be right back and took off back towards the bathroom.  I will admit, watching that ass sway was a sight to behold.  He returned with a couple bottles of water.  He opened one before handing it to me.  

     I waited for him to settle in up against the headboard to lay back against him.  I listened to him breathing for a long while.  He drew little pictures into my arm as we just collected ourselves and the time we have shared.  I was nearly on the verge of dozing when he shifted, drawing my attention back to him.

     “I want to make out more,”  he whispered against my mouth.  “It’s like I can’t get enough of you.”

     It’s my turn to laugh a bit.  I kissed him deeply before heading to the bathroom for a moment.  I took my time in cleaning myself up.  I swore I could still feel the heat of his mouth against my skin.  It made me smile as I made my way back to him.  I paused, finding him sitting up against the headboard, eyes closed and fully relaxed.  He was really breathtakingly handsome.  He took his hand from his hair that he had been holding and it swished down around his shoulders.  He held his hand out for me to join him and I slid in.  He rolled me onto my back and brushed my hair back away from my face.  

      “You’re so pretty,”  he whispered before placing a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth.  

      His body flooded me with warmth and need once more.  This kiss was slow and unhurried.  We trailed caresses across each other as if relishing the moment so as to not forget it.  We were literally moving in two opposite directions - no matter what.  This was going to be it, and it was like we were both very aware of that fact.  I knew I was just going to enjoy my time in this man’s hands for as long as I could.  I rose up against his side, allowing him to wrap his arms around me to bring me in flush.  I absorbed his body heat as he stuck his tongue deep within me.  I could get used to the way this man kissed me.  Damn.

       I straddled his middle and brought myself up enough for him to drag those magical fingers back through me once more.  Jake hooked his arms under mine and rose up to flip me back so that I was back on my back.

      “Hold on,”  he replied as he slid off the bed and went to a duffle bag.  He returned, tearing open a condom.  His eyes flicked to mine as he set the open package on the nightstand.  “Sorry.  Just needed one of those things.”

      “Thank you,”  I said as he sunk down against me with a searing kiss.

      It did not take long for him to have me panting once more.  He tugged and sucked at my breasts.  He pushed my legs wide and placed my hands on my knees to hold close to my sides.  I watched as he quickly rolled the thin piece of latex onto his shaft, all the while, he encouraged me to keep myself going.  He gave a little laugh as he lifted my hips and slowly entered me.  We moaned in unison.  My head fell back, chin pointed at the ceiling.  He was inching in and out, ensuring every point within me was being stimulated.  He would pause, buried so deep and give his hips a little grind to make me whimper with joy.  He watched my face so closely, so attentively that I wanted to weep.  Each strike he soothed and kissed at my skin, soaking me and wringing me out like I was his doll.  

         He gathered my body up and held on to me tight as he began to move with purpose.  I took his place in grinding against him, staying with his body each time he withdrew only to return with force.  I held onto him with all that I had.  I knew my sounds were filling the air all around us, mixing and melting with his own.  It was beautiful and fleeting and mind altering as he fucked into me.  I lowered my hand, grabbing his hand firmly and he sucked a deep breath.

        “Try that again?”  I whispered my question with his face buried in my neck.

        “Yes…”  he answered back, scraping his teeth against my shoulder.  

        I pushed my thumb into my mouth, putting as much slick as possible onto it.  I pushed on his thigh to get him to open a bit more as he continued to work me.  Gently, I pressed the tip of my thumb against his entrance once more.  He groaned and I paused, just giving him a little swirl, a little time to adjust to my touch.  He whispered he was ready and I pressed as he buried himself to his hilt.  We gasped out over the sensation.  I had no intention of giving traction to my touch, just to give him this bit.  I hooked my digit back and forth, turned it back and forth as he fucked into me harder.  I could feel my body tightening, sprinting towards my high.  I looked up at him.  Sweat formed on his brow as his teeth were sunk into his bottom lip.  I was struck by his absolute beauty and nearly cried out because of it. 

       He looked me right in the eye and slammed into me.  I gasped out.  I couldn’t hold out any longer.  He repeated the move until I was near screaming his name with my thumb in his ass.  Satisfied that he had gotten to me, he dropped his chin to his chest and ground into me hard until he came hard.  I let my hand drift back to my side.  He held tight, planting little kisses across my collar bones.  I wiped his hair back from his forehead, trying hard to catch my breath once more.

      “Fuck I don’t want to move,”  I sighed as he kissed the top of each breast.

      “I got it,”  he said softly, letting me go.

      He stopped and grabbed his boxer briefs on his way to the bathroom this time.  I held myself steady as he cleaned himself up before coming back with a fresh wash cloth.  He started to wipe me up, but I took over, sitting up and heading towards the bathroom.  I took hold of my clothes and shut the door behind me.  

      I looked fucked out.  It was the only thought that struck me as I glanced in the mirror before I sat to pee.  That man had just fucked me and I admit I loved every moment of it.  I could smell him on my skin.  I could feel his heat still in my skin.  I wiped up and put myself slowly back together.  I gathered my hair up into a messy ponytail and tied it up with the flimsy jeweled tie.  I washed most of the smeared makeup off and stood back with glimpses of the memory of what had just happened dancing through my thoughts.  

      I stepped out of the bathroom to find him scrolling through his phone, the pile of his clothes next to him.  He looked up with a sleepy grin.

      “I have bus call in about ninety minutes,”  he said as he stood up.  “Everyone is meeting downstairs at six to head out.  There’s a diner that’s open.  You want some breakfast?  I have a bit of time.”

      I shrug as I reach for my own bag.  “Maybe.”

      I caught sight of myself once more in the mirror over the desk.  Fuck.  I had never done something like this before.  Short term, benefits only hook ups, sure.  But one night stands with essentially a stranger?  Never.  A bubble of panic formed in my chest over not knowing how to handle the situation.  But it’s exactly what I wanted from him.  One night.  A night of celebration.  He ducked into the bathroom to take care of himself with a hesitant smile.  I glanced out the window.  It was fucking four thirty in the morning.  Bars were closed.  I was two blocks from Patrick’s apartment…

     Silently, I tucked my purse under my arm and paused at the bathroom door.  My chest felt like it was on fire.  I was going to just say ‘I’m heading out’, but instead, I found my hand on the door handle.  I walked quickly down the hall to the stairs and down into the still abandoned lobby and out the door.  My heart was pounding so fast that I was afraid I was doing something wrong by just leaving.  It was awkward and I didn’t do ‘awkward’.

      I didn’t stop until I got to Patty’s place.  I could hear his voice in his room calling out.

     “Y/n?  What are you doing back?  I’m…”  he called from behind his door.

     “Just keep fucking her, Patrick.  I’m just getting into the shower,”  I said loudly, much to the shrill chirp of embarrassment by Sidney.  “I’m just gonna crash on the couch.”

      And that was it.  My night of celebration was over, washed down the drain of the shower.  I hoped that Jake was smiling as he headed out from Ann Arbor.  I knew I’d be wearing this fucking smile for weeks to come…

(banner cred to @ saradika and mdni divider by @ cafekitsune)

And away we go!  I hope you liked this first part of the story!  I do have a tag list, let me know if you want to be added, or fill out the form here.  See you next Wednesday! @lvnterninthenight @doodle417 @luverleaver @jakesgrapejuice @fictional-duchess @milkgemini @positivegvfthings @songbirds-sweet @gretavanbitches @gardensgatedaisy @babyhoneygvfarchive @myownparadise96 @josh-iamyour-mama @starcatcherc @loveisonaroll @jakesstarlight @reesetrippingthelight @builtby-gvf @ignite-my-fire @wetkleenex-gvf @gold-mines-melting @starsasone @mysticalstarcatcher @montenegroisr @takenbythemadness @way-to-go-lad @cal-a-bungaa @thewritingbeforesunrise @leftjudgeempathsuitcase @brokenbells11 @imborrowedshesblue @vanfleeter @sammysvanfeet @jakekiszkasbuttsweat @jaketlove @gvfmarge @becinabubblegvf @wildbluesorbit @sinarainbows @thetroublegetssoloud71 @gracev0609 @gretavangroupie @fleet-of-fiction @edgingthedarkness @itsafullmoon @anythingforjtk @seenoversundown @klarxtr @hollyco @lyndz2names

[the-vast-corner-of-the-galaxy]

KW 2024: Day 7: Proposal

After a million years, Day 7 of Kataang Week 2024 hosted by @kataang-week

I've just recovered from my sickness and can now say I am doing well. Due to university kicking my ass, my updates on other fics will be kind of sluggish and sow since I am constantly busy.

Either way, enjoy this!

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Prompt: Day 7: Proposal- Sunday, August 4th Summary: Aang wants to propose to Katara, but he is a nervous wreck.

Word Count: 3.3 K

Rating: General Audiences

“She won’t say no!” 

“What if she does?”

These were the two main voices that have been haunting Aang’s mind for the past few months. The Avatar has been in a relationship with Katara for over eight years. They have been through thick and thin, good and bad, and haven’t left each other’s side at all. Aang had known some time back that he wanted to be with Katara for the rest of his remaining years, and would do anything to make that come true. 

He wanted to propose to her for a very long time, but proposing at the age of 16 was not precisely a good idea. They still had a lot to do, individually and together, and getting married while they were still teenagers was probably going to bring conflict. Additionally, Aang needed more time to back up his decision on being with Katara for the rest of their lives. Even if she was the most amazing person in the world, Aang was still unsure if his choice would be the right one, not because he did not love her, but because he thought she could say no. 

However, all of those doubts began to clear off when Katara saved his life once more a year ago, one of the harshest attacks Aang suffered since Azula struck him with lightning when he was 12. He was in critical condition, and Katara did an exceptional job at saving his life once more.  He was eternally grateful to her for that, and although she would say it was nothing and that she’d do anything for him, he praised her for her kind actions.

It was a tranquil morning on Ember Island, and the sun had just begun rising. The whole Gaang decided it would be refreshing to take a small vacation after doing so many missions in Republic City. Katara decided to choose the place because she wanted to practice Waterbending in a more relaxing place, and of course, everyone agreed that the island was one of the most calming places in the world. 

“Aang, I am certain that Katara will say yes,” Sokka told Aang, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “You guys have been through a lot, and she LOVES you, like… a lot.”

“It’s just that… I’m scared she could say no,” Aang said with worry, looking at the sunrise in front of him.

“Come on, twinkle toes!” Toph said from afar. “Stop being so dramatic! Do you really think that your eight year term girlfriend will refuse a proposal from THE Avatar? No! That’s absolutely ridiculous! She’s probably been waiting for this for years!”

“Maybe,” Aang said.

“Plus, you’ve been working on this necklace for MONTHS!” Sokka pointed out to the necklace that Aang held in his hands. It was a Water Tribe necklace carved from one of the most precious stones in the ocean: Grandidierite. Aang had worked on the designs every day for the last six months, and used every single prototype available. He even went to the Northern Water Tribe to get some prototypes from the people who had these necklaces, but did not find a design he found right, until a jewelrer from the tribe had told him something important. 

“You need to make everything with love,” he said. “Don’t focus on other designs, imagine how YOU want this necklace to look.”

Even though Aang had a natural talent for jewelry making, sometimes, he struggled trying to come up with ideas for whenever he made jewels, and for this occasion, he had an insane amount of trouble trying to imagine something. Aang wanted to combine elements from the Air Nation and from the Water Tribe, but due to the fact that the Air Nation did not do the whole “marriage thing” since attachments were forbidden, it almost seemed impossible. He also had some trouble remembering what other materials the Air Nomads used to make jewelry. 

Then, one day, Aang was meditating in the beaches of Republic City. He was sitting at the feet of the ocean, feeling the cold water touch his feet, until he felt something from the ocean call to him. It almost felt like the Sea Lion was trying to call him back, and Aang walked towards the ocean and submerged himself. He saw a bright, cyan light shining below him. He dived his way there, and that’s when he saw it: the Grandidierite. Aang had heard of the stone before, and it was told that it was one of the rarest to find in the ocean. People would die to find it, and it even cost a fortune. Why would this stone be in plain site in the oceans of Republic City? He thought it was strange, but he decided to take it as a sign. Aang created a small air bubble to maintain his oxygen levels, and then used waterbending to get the large piece of stone out.

When he came out of the water, he examined the stone once more, its cyan color blinding him, and suddenly, he had an epiphany: the Air Nomads would sometimes mine Grandidierite from the ocean so the nuns could make necklaces, and that's how Aang knew that Katara’s betrothal necklace had to be made more Grandidierite. After this, Aang spent the next few months drawing the patterns that occurred to him with the help of Sokka and other people from the Northern Water Tribe, and finally, he had the perfect pattern, and it was time to carve it onto the stone. 

“Good morning,” Katara came out of the bedroom she shared with Aang. Her hair was still messy, and she looked really sleepy. She headed towards Aang and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Aang was happy to receive the gesture, but he was tense due to today’s proposal. Katara sensed this, but did not mention it.

After Katara arrived, everyone sat down to eat breakfast. While they were eating, Aang started to recite the lines he would say to Katara, which was making him look even more nervous than he wanted.

“Katara, you are the love of my life, and-” Aang began to recite in his mind. “And we have been through a lot: ups and downs, thick and thin, life and death-”

“Aang?” Katara called out. The Avatar's trail of thought broke and Aang turned around to face Katara, who looked puzzled.

“Is everything okay, sweetie?” she asked. “You were zoning out.”

“Yeah! Everything is fine!” Aang rapidly said, lying. “Just… thinking! That's all!”

“Wonder what he's thinking about,” Sokka teased. Aang shot him an intimidating warning look and Sokka's smile immediately got wiped off. 

“So, sweetie,” Aang whispered to Katara. “I… kinda have something special planned for us today.”

“Oh! What is it?” Katara asked curiously.

“It's a surprise,” Aang told her, smirking. “But, I will give you a few hints: it's at our special spot on this beach.”

“What's the special ocassion?” Katara asked.

“Nothing in particular!” Aang replied. “Just meet me there at sunset, and wear something nice!”

Aang quickly bolted out of the dining room, leaving Katara confused. The rest of Team Avatar didn't seem to notice Aang’s strange behavior, or at least didn't care.

“Don't you guys think Aang is acting weird?” Katara asked.

“A little,” Zuko said. “I'll go talk to him.”

Zuko headed out of the room and went to the balcony, where Aang was meditating. Next to him lay a shell shaped box that was shut closely. Zuko opened it and saw a beautiful Water Tribe necklace. The stone, which was teal, had a delicate and detailed design of the Water Tribe and Air Nation symbols carved into it, and the chord of the necklace was made of  blue leather.

“It's beautiful,” Zuko told Aang. “You made it for Katara?”

“Yeah,” said Aang, breaking his meditation. 

“Aang, you know perfectly that Katara is not going to say no to your proposal,” Zuko said. “She loves you a lot. I still remember when she threatened to kill me after I joined you guys in the war, and I knew from that moment that she cared about you with her life. Katara would want to spend every breath she has left with you.”

“I don't doubt Katara's feelings,” Aang said. “I just fear that she will say no to well… spending the rest of our lives together.” 

“D’ you really think that she'll say no to that?” Zuko asked, bewildered. 

“I don't know!” exclaimed Aang. “I'm also just… well… nervous.”

“The mighty Avatar is nervous to propose to his girlfriend?” Zuko teased. “Aang, you've faced even more dangerous things: my father, my own sister, the entire Fire Nation Army, and so much more; I know you're capable of proposing to Katara.”

“Thanks, Zuko,” Aang said. “Your words mean a lot.” Zuko then left Aang meditating and went back to the dining room.

“Is Aang okay?” Katara asked.

“Yeah, he was just meditating,” Zuko said. “He's fine.” Katara looked more at ease and finished her food. Once everyone finished eating, they changed into their swimsuits and headed to the beach to enjoy the tropical and hot weather. 

***

“Where's Aang?” Katara asked. “I haven't seen him since we had lunch.”

“I'm sure he'll be back soon!” Sokka told his sister. “He's probably meditating or doing y'know, Avatar stuff.”

Meanwhile, Aang was in the Island residence preparing everything for the proposal. He packed the food he needed, a blanket to sit down in the sand, a wine bottle, and cups and plates, placing them in a basket. He placed the necklace near his robes, which he would wear later, and headed back to the beach to join Katara.

“Where were you?” Katara asked. 

“I was just getting the stuff ready for our date tonight!” Aang told her, planting a kiss on her cheek.

“What exactly are you planning that needs so much of your time?” asked Katara teasingly. 

“It's a surprise, sweetie, I can't tell you,” replied Aang. 

“You know I hate surprises!” Katara said.

“I think you'll like this one,” Aang said. He gave Katara a loving kiss on her lips and went back to the water, and Katara chased after him. They played in the ocean, splashing water on each other using their bending and laughing like childten. They were 12 and 14 again, playing in the water like they used to when they were younger. It brought them so much nostalgia and love, and in that moment, they wished that they were that age once more. 

“I love you Aang,” Katara told Aang, laughing and catching her breath. 

“I love you too, Katara,” Aang replied, hugging Katara from behind. 

“Well, I think I should go get ready for the surprise you have in mind for me,” Katara smiled. “I’ll see you at our spot.”

“I’ll go with you, I need to prepare everything quickly before you come.” Aang said. He pecked Katara’s cheek and rushed back to the residence. He showered, put on his robes, and got everything he needed to head outside. Katara was getting ready as well, but took a little longer to get herself prepared. She put on a white beach dress, some sandals, and a pair of Earth Kingdom style earrings. 

Aang placed the blanket on the sandy beach and placed the dishes and cups neatly. He placed the necklace in one of his pockets and patiently waited for Katara. As he waited, his nerves were beginning to build up even more, and soon enough, his body seemed to be shaking, and his heart was beating rapidly. When Katara began to head over to him, he almost fainted. She was looking ethereal with the rays of sunset, her blue eyes glowing with the reflection of the sea. 

“Sweetie!” Katara greeted. She kissed Aang’s and could savorthe salt from the sea in his mouth. “You look really handsome.”

“You look stunning, my love,” Aang said, holding Katara by the waist.

“So, this is the surprise?” Katara said, looking enthusiastically at their little picnic.

“Yeah, but only part of it,” Aang said, teasingly. “There will be more to come!” 

They both sat down in the blanket and Aang took out the wine bottle and served two glasses. 

“Let’s make a toast,” Aang proposed, holding his glass of wine. “A toast to our love.”

“To our love, which will be everlasting,” Katara responded. They clinked their glasses and drank a sip off the glass. Then, Aanf took the first bit of food, which was an appetizer based off kale and originated from the Earth Kingdom. It was similar to the dishes Katara saw when she sneaked into the king’s palace in the Earth Kingdom during the war. 

“You made this?” Katara asked, savoring the delicacy. 

“Yeah, with some help,” Aang replied. 

“Aang, it’s so good!” Katara exclaimed with some food in her mouth. 

“I am so glad you like it,” Aang said. “Because I think you will like the next dish!” He took out two wrapped bowls of fire flakes. They were the chips that Sokka first tried in that Fire Nation festival, which were extremely spicy. To reduce the spice, Aang made a creamy dip to soak the chips in. 

“I remember these!” Katara said, taking a chip out of her bowl. “These were the chips that Sokka tried at that festival!”

“Yeah,” Aang said. “I found a recipe here and decided to make them. They are not as spicy as the ones Sokka had.”

“I love them!” Katara said, devouring her chips. Aang tried to eat at a normal pace as well, but his heart was thumping in his chest and his hands began to sweat. Soon enough, he knew he had to pop in the question. 

“Here is the next dish,” Aang took out two small pots and inside were stewed sea prunes with salmon. Due to his vegetarianism, his soup had tofu, but still had the fishy flavor the stew had. 

“You made sea prune stew?” Katara asked excitedly. “But… you don’t like sea prunes.”

“This one has tofu!,” Aang said, trying to contain his anxiety. “It tastes just as good as your stew!” 

They both ate their stews in comfortable silence, but as time went on, Aang’s eating began to become uneasy. He felt sweat build up in his body, and his chest tightened even more. It was now or never, and he had to do it quickly. 

“Katara?” Aang called her name. Katara stopped eating her stew and looked at her boyfriend, who looked extremely anxious and worried. 

“What is it, Aang?” she asked, trying to discern his expression. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, um…” Aang said, his breathing hitching. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask… Katara… I…” He took a deep breath, and placed his hand on his chest, trying to calm himself. 

“It’s okay, sweetie,” Katara cooed, placing a hand on Aang’s hand. “Take it easy.” 

Aang breathed once more and began to speak again. “Katara, from the moment I met you in that iceberg, I knew my life would never be the same. We’ve been through so much over these past eight years: we’ve been through thick and thin, life and death, ups and downs… We’ve gotten through everything together, and I want to ask if… if…”

“If what?” Katara asked, feeling her own heart beat like crazy.

“You’re the love of my life Katara,” Aang interrupted. “You’re the best thing anyone could ever ask for. I… I love you more than anyone in this world, and I want to ask if you want… if you want to spend the rest of our lives together, because I cannot imagine a future without you in it.” Aang took out the shell shaped box and opened it, revealing the handmade necklace. Katara was in shock, not knowing how to react. Did Aang just… propose to her? Now, she realized that he did ACTUALLY propose just now.

“Oh my gosh,” Katara whispered, feeling tears brewing in her eyes. The necklace in front of her was magical. She recognized the Grandidierite, and saw the delicate pattern carved onto it. She couldn’t believe it: Aang was ACTUALLY proposing to her right here. Was this all a dream? Katara could not decipher it, but whether it was real or not, she did not want it to end. 

“Katara… I want to spend every breath I have left with you,” Aang said shakily. “Will you… will you marry me?” 

Katara stayed silent for a few moments, still trying to process what just happened. She did not know how to react at all, which began to set Aang in a state of panic. His breathing accelerated and his heart began beating in a way that could give anyone a heart attack. Katara has loved Aang since she was 14 years old, and had fallen in love with him even more over the years. She did not just love him because he was the Avatar; she loved him because he was one of the kindest people she has ever met. He showed her what real kindness and compassion is, and is something she would never forget. How could she say no to spending the rest of her living days with the love of her life? 

“Yes,” Katara murmured, tears streaming down her eyes. “A thousand times yes!” (1) Aang sighed in relief and even felt tears building up in his eyes. She launched herself towards Aang and kissed him passionately. They embraced each other for minutes, feeling their hearts beat in unison and their breathing synchronizing. 

Aang broke the hug and got the necklace out of the box to wrap it around Katara’s neck. He clasped the necklace onto her neck, and the color of the Grandidierite was glowing with her eyes. 

“Aang, you are the love of my life,” Katara said, wiping her tears with her hand. “You’ve been my guiding light through the darkest of times. You've shown me what it means to truly live, to truly love. I’ve watched you grow into the incredible person you are today, and I’m so proud to stand beside you. I will stand beside you for as long as I have left in this world.”

Aang smiled sheepishly with tears brimming in his eyes, and pulled Katara into a tight hug. They stayed there cuddled, laying down on the blanket while watching the sun go down over the beach.

“I love you so much, Aang,” Katara whispered. 

“I love you so much as well, Katara,” Aang said, kissing her lips once more. 

As the last rays of the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of deep orange and purple, the world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them in that quiet, magical moment. The gentle sound of the waves lapping against the shore was the only thing that filled the silence between them.

Katara rested her head on Aang’s chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her ear. It was a sound she cherished more than anything in the world, a reminder that he was here, with her, in this life they had built together.

Aang gently stroked Katara’s hair, his fingers tangling in the soft strands as he gazed up at the emerging stars. “This is just the beginning, Katara,” he whispered. “The start of our forever.”

Katara closed her eyes, letting the warmth of his words wash over her. “Our forever,” she echoed softly, her voice filled with love and certainty.

They stayed there, wrapped in each other’s arms, as night slowly enveloped the world around them. The promise of a lifetime together, sealed with a kiss under the twilight sky, lingered in the air as they drifted into a peaceful slumber, knowing that whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them side by side.

And so, with hearts entwined and spirits lifted, they welcomed the dawn of a new chapter in their lives: a chapter that would begin with love and continue with unbreakable unity.

***

This line is from the 2005 movie adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, when Mr. Bingley proposes to Jane.

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Mudlord

CR 6

Neutral Medium Outsider

Bestiary 4, pg. 195

These bizarre amalgams of elemental earth and water are most often born on the Material Plane rather than the Elemental Planes, formed from sources of magical water leaking into soil over long periods of time, the book stating that they can rise from such events as magical springs or enchanted rivers flowing across muddy banks. Rather adorably, Mudlords are stated to be playful and rambunctious, wiling away their days getting into wrestling matches, throwing contests, races, and other such activities with one another and with other elemental beings (viewing Earth, Water, and Mud Elementals as younger siblings regardless of their actual ages), but they have a universally hostile reaction to seeing humanoid creatures, lashing out with little provocation and even going so far as to launch campaigns to destroy or chase away any civilizations that edge too close to their territory.

Why they're so violent isn't directly stated except for a handwave of 'xenophobia' without many details beyond that, but book implies that Mudlords are so hostile because many of them are just young and stupid and are lashing out from both fear and ego. Elder Mudlords--ones with class levels--are significantly more patient around humanoids, going so far as to allow tribes of monstrous humanoids like boggards, lizardfolk, and goblins hang around in their territory... provided they're properly paid with tribute. What that tribute could be is anyone's guess (and the DMs plots), as they have little use for wealth, don't eat, and are literally elemental spirits so they know most of the nature spirits around them by name and can just ask them for magical favors.

Whatever they end up wanting is up to the DM, but what they end up doing is fairly standard: They're ambush monsters meant to suddenly spring combats on players traveling through muddy swamps, river coasts, and damp underground tunnels. They're able to perfectly masquerade as unassuming mud puddles, leading most parties to outright avoid walking over them for fear of getting their brand new Boots of Striding and Springing all grungy, but anyone who braves walking right in is first to find out just how dangerous a guy made of mud can be.

Mudlords are impervious to the attacks of most commoners, their DR 10/Magic making them difficult to damage in lower-wealth campaigns. They're both amorphous and Elementals, meaning critical hits and Sneak Attacks don't scratch them and they can't be flanked, so a party without access to a magic weapon--even just temporarily--is in for a long and difficult fight... especially since even casters are likely to struggle against their 17 Spell Resistance, letting the things slither over to the party and start beating them down.

The offense of a Mudlord is fairly standard, but it DOES contain a frightening curveball; they can attack twice with two slams for 2d6+3 damage each with the potential to Grab whoever they hit... and anyone who stays grappled may be engulfed next round, drawn into the Mudlord's suffocating body and taking 1d6+3 damage each round they fail to break free. Anyone engulfed by a Mudlord is also Smothered, rendering them incapable of speaking or breathing, for added danger. While Mudlords can only have one creature engulfed at a time, they can move easily even while someone's snared to beat up the rest of the party. Given their swift 40ft swim speed and penchant for hanging out in swamps, they can also dive into pools of mud, water, or even quicksand while someone's engulfed to release them into an even worse hazard before resurfacing to bully the rest of the party!

When not in melee, they can throw Mudballs at targets within 30ft, the attack resolving as a touch attack with a +12 to hit, the attack dealing no damage but blinding whoever it hits. Blinded victims can either use up their standard action to wipe away the mud with no fuss or attempt to shake it off with a DC 16 Reflex save once per round, but there's no limits to the number of Mudballs the mud men can hurl and no way to avoid the initial blindness if the attack hits, forcing the party to either fight blind or waste time undoing it. It's worse if there's multiple mud men are in combat, as they can support one another by blinding the more dangerous-looking enemies while one devotes itself to slamming and engulfing anyone who's putting up too much of a fight. Despite being Medium-sized, their reach is deceptive thanks to their Lunge feat, allowing them to slam victims from 10ft away instead of 5 at the cost of lowering their AC from 19 to 17, though their resistance to non-magical weapons makes that weakness moot.

Mudlords can serve as terrifying ambush encounters and even boss fights at lower levels thanks to their resilience, but they also make any encounter they join in far more dangerous from the threat of suffocation they present and their at-will blind ability attached to a ranged touch attack instead of a saving throw. At higher levels when groups of these creatures can be fought with little consideration for their DR, a party may have a way to thin the crowd with a single spell: Transmute Mud to Rock has a unique interaction with them, partially fusing their muddy bodies together and staggering them for 2d6 rounds without offering a save. The spell also deals 1d6 damage to them per caster level, quickly finishing off any that have already been weakened while leaving the rest clinging to the last dregs of their hitpoints. It also fuses the muddy ground into proper stone, removing whatever difficult terrain might be present in their native swamps!

You can read more about them here.

[oubliette-odette]

The Reluctance of Love Pt. 1

I don't like the fated mates trope. But I think it's because I don't personally like how people write/interpret it (no hate, just not for me. Also I'm asexual so...I'm built different or something. shrug). So this is me trying to write fated mates my way.

Orc Male x Half-Elf Male, Fated Mates, Forbidden Love, Slow Burn Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 Word Count: 2443 (average 18 min read) Content Warnings: mention of mating, nothing happens....yet ;) All orcish is from orcishdictionary.com, created by Matt Vancil. Not beta-read. Criticism is welcome, but be sure to distinguish criticism from hate.

My world shattered the day I saw him, my raebukan, my mate.

The pride of Orc tribes is centered on two things. The first being the pride of our warriors who defend and conquer in the tribe's name. The second, the pride of bearing and rearing many children together as a tribe through the groupings of mates. To ensure that all children be born strong, our bodies experience lordhovid - an intense physical pull that is described as a boiling in the blood that occurs upon seeing your mate. Lordhovid does not still until physical intimacy.

Most orcs experience lordhovid many times in their lifetime, gathering multiple partners that together rear large broods of children. The larger the brood, the greater pride the patriarch of the brood holds within the tribe and rises in rank of influence.

I, Drunrag Ularat, had never experienced lordhovid.

There had never been signs that I would ever feel the sensation of my blood burning for another. And while my brood brothers and sisters from my litter all began to bear children of their own, I remained. I remembered the way my broodmothers whispered to one another behind my back about me. I heard theories that I was unlucky, cursed, born dishonorably. My broodfather soon pretended that I didn't exist. My brothers and sisters did the same.

I tried to remain faithful that Gruumsh would change my fate, that I would lock eyes with a fierce orc-woman and feel the burn I heard so often about. But each looked back at me with only a coldness I had become too familiar with.

I left home, unable to bear the dishonor I continued to bring to my family. And I struggled through my young adult years earning my pay through hard manual labor. I learned to read and write in common to gain favor with those who hired me. I learned that my brute strength wasn't the only quality about me that could bring me honor. The older I got, the less I travelled, until I settled into a small merchant town on the coast, and worked in the forges during most of the year, crafting weapons and tools. The guilt and shame that I carried from my failure as an orc soon faded as the years passed and I settled into a rhythm that worked best for me in the quiet buzz of my coast town. I soon understood my true feelings from my childhood. I was relieved that I never had to juggle romance and physical intimacy. Even despite my lack of mate - I don't know that I ever really understood mating the same way as my tribe. It didn't make sense to me, and I didn't really want anything to do with it.

Until that fated day.

I had woke that morning with a pounding headache, and I remembered grumbling about it as I shuffled out of my room. The space was always cramped - due to my size - but it felt near claustrophobic that morning. I ran the back of my hand against my blurry eyes and blinked furiously as I peered into my food storage - only to find an onion as my offering for breakfast. I grumbled and reached for the snapsack I kept draped on my single chair and the pouch of coins that i shoved deep into the pockets of my breeches.

The morning was quiet, and the sea air was invigorating most mornings, but that morning, breathing it in only made me sneeze and the pounding in my head knocked harder against my skull. I groaned outwardly. As I walked down the cobblestone path towards the market circle, I felt a tightening sensation in the pit of my stomach with each step. Nausea overwhelmed me. Strange, since orcs have excellent constitution and I hadn't eaten a thing since the day before. I swallowed down the bile that built in my throat and forged ahead.

The market was always busy at any hour and I learned to know which vendors were more kind to me than others. It was still fairly common - and expected - to get strange lingering stares and off-kilter remarks made in my direction. I learned to ignore it, but today I already felt too unsettled to be able to shrug it off as easily as normal. I stopped by a bakery and exchanged my gold for a warm loaf of bread, then made my way down to where a stall was selling freshly picks fruits. Golden globes of fresh juicy fruit tempted me and I retrieved another set of coins before reaching for three shiny, firm globes into my sack.

As I deposited each one in one by one, I felt the tingle on the back of my neck that was someone was staring at me. With a fruit still in hand, I glanced to my right, ready to face a disgusted customer.

It was then that I looked up and met his gaze.

He was small. Maybe not by human standards, but I still considered most humans small - so he was also small to me. Willowy and thin, brown skin and long coppery curls, the ends teasing his skin around the base of his smooth, tantalizing neck. I spotted the soft pointy ears of a half-elf. Not quite as long and slender as an elf, but gently sloped up to a rounded point that poked through his mop of hair. Green-gold eyes - reminiscent of the fruit in my hand- met mine. They were large, curious eyes that looked back at me unflinching and kindly.

I couldn't look away. I didn't want to look away. He was beautiful. His lips were curled upwards naturally - like he always had a joke or funny story to tell. His lips parted as he gazed back at me, an open mouth smile just for me. There were no thoughts in my mind.

The burning began in my heart. A strong pulsing rush of boiling blood that started to spread and sear through every part of me. I stood there, unable to move and unable to look away from him. I felt so much joy, so much elation upon the sight of him, but it quickly was overrun with panic, confusion, and fear.

Never in the history of orcs had I heard of a male orc experiencing lordhovid with another male orc. It was common to have casual lovers of the same sex - but never mates. Mates were ones who promised children and the continued growth of your broods. I didn't understand - how could this man be my mate? I didn't want this. I was happy alone. Happy to be left alone. I gazed at him and the burning desire surged and bubbled until a loud, explosive breath escaped my lips. An exhalation of panic.

"Fuck." I breathed. I didn't want this.

"Sir, you alright?" The vendor asked me.

I grunted in response. I didn't break my gaze, everything in me was screaming inside me to take the half-elf and claim him here in the streets, in front of everyone. I hated that I even considered it. I didn't want that. My body and my brain remained at war, and I unable to move.

The half-elf's eyes narrowed. And he approached me slowly. The way he moved, the way his long legs and slender hips weaved through the crowd with ease, like water on glass. His eyes didn't leave me, and the walk towards me felt like it was a hundred miles between us. My breathing was growing ragged with each step. I was fighting everything not to run away...or run to him.

"I apologize if I have offended you." The half-elf said as he approached me. "I didn't mean to stare." His voice was gentle, smooth and rough at the same time. It reminded me of the sound of a harp, smooth and flowing out like song. I shuddered, my fists clenched. Closer up, I could see he had a spattering of freckles across his face, they were adorable and I wanted to spend the rest of my life counting how many existed on his body. I wanted to die for thinking of this stranger in front of me in such a base manner.

I blinked and swallowed heavily, my brain moving slower than normal. What could I do? What do I say?

The half-elf hesitated, reaching a hand out to me. I jerked back, fear and alarm and lust seizing me at once. He also jerked back. I saw that his hands were shaking. Was he afraid of me? I glanced up to his face again and saw that his eyes were wide and his lips were parting, he was breathing heavy.

He let out a heavy breath and whispered, "Can we go somewhere private? Something has come over me and I need your help."

Somewhere private.

Alarms bellowed in my brain. No. I can't be alone with him. I can't trust myself.

Before I could react, the half elf snatched my hand with both of his own. The warmth that radiated from his touch was cooler than the burning inside me and I felt my panic still. For how long I didn't know.

I let him drag me through the streets. My size didn't allow for a smooth walk, and I wasn't right in the head. I brushed and bumped against dozens of people. They likely glared at me, but I could only look at the back of my mate's head and wonder at how someone's hair could be so long and so curly at the same time and what it smelled like, what it would feel like against my cheek.

I found myself being pushed against a wall in a lonely street. I didn't know where I was. I looked down at the half-elf. His breathing was harder than before, and he stood very close to me. He only reached to my chest. My hands lingered close to his shoulders, eager to wrap around him. Around his waist. His neck.

"What did you to do me?" He said, an edge of desperation in his voice. "I don't know what I did to offend you...but please I beg you to remove whatever this curse is."

I may not be an honorable orc like my brothers and sisters, but hearing lordhovid be equated to a curse felt culturally offensive. It was true that I too didn't have any interest in these emotions, these urges. But it was the honor of an orc to experience this and feel the binding between one's self and their life-partner. And though I had grown to appreciate and become comfortable with my fate...I couldn't deny that there was a building excitement that I was finally feeling it with someone. The excitement also scared me too.

"Do you understand me?" He said pleadingly, and then he muttered to himself. "Damn, maybe he doesn't speak common."

"I understand." I managed to rasp out. My hands itched to hold him. I ignored it and wrestled through the rest of my words. "I - You are not cursed. What ails you also ails me."

"What is it?" He asked. "I'm feeling sensations that I am unfamiliar with."

"It is lordhovid. My people's mating instinct."

His eyes widened. "Why...why am I feeling it?"

I shook my head, "I don't know. This has never happened in our tribe. I am sorry."

"How do we stop it?" He asked. "Don't tell me I have to sleep with you?"

I looked away from his gaze, I couldn't bear to see him look at me with disgust. I felt a whimper escape my lips. It was too much to be so close to him and not hold him. I didn't want to hurt him, I didn't want him to be scared of me.

"I'm sorry." I breathed out.

"You...have you experienced this before?" He asked. "You seem more scared then me."

I shook my head. "I am krandad. Broken. I brought shame to my family because I was unable to mate."

"I see." He said, his voice sounding very calm under the circumstances. "And so now you experience your first...impulse...with me?"

I nodded. "I'm sorry."

He sighed. "Please stop apologizing. I'm starting to understand that this isn't really your fault."

I dared a chance to look to him. His hands were caught running through his hair, and he was also looking down. He was truly the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I don't know if the lordhovid would change that for me either. He was simply radiant.

"What's your name?" he asked. "If I am to sleep with you, I'd like to know who you are." He put a hand on his chest. "I am Altan."

"Drunrag." I said.

"Drunrag." Altan said, and a smile returned. My knees weakened when he said my name back. The orcish name on his tongue sounded like poetry, like art. Oh, if I could hear him say my name again and again and again.

"You...are not afraid of me?" I asked.

He shook his head, "I think I'm faring better than you right now actually." He laughed.

I had to close my eyes to his radiance, his laughter was too much and I clenched my fists.

"Sorry," He said. "I can tell that I'm affecting you."

"Not your fault." I breathed. "I should just go. I can't do this to you unwillingly."

"What?' He asked.

Before I could say any more. I surged all of my strength to rip myself away from the wall and I ran and I didn't look back. My body continued to burn, and I felt an aching inside me that stretched from my body and remained with Altan. It was trying to pull me back. But I would not go. With each moment I spent with him, it had only become harder to deny my body's instinct to mate with him. I didn't want to do that to him. He was too good

None of this made any sense. I couldn't experience lordhovid so late in my years. I couldn't experience it with another species and I certainly couldn't experience it with another man. I didn't even want to begin to process the anger I felt when I had finally made peace that I didn't even want to mate with anyone.

My broodmothers had been right all along. I was broken. I was flawed and I never would have brought honor to my tribe.

I didn't open the forge that day, but instead crawled back into bed where i remained shaking and shivering.

[ameliafuckinjones]

The Astrology of ENGLAND (Arthur Kirkland)

There are many charts for England based on the many transformative eras within the country's history (such as the unification with Scotland), but for this exercise, I will be using the chart that is used by seasoned mundane astrologers, which is the one predicated on the ascension of William the Conqueror on December 25th, 1066 at approximately noon ( 12:00 pm) in London. The chart associated with this date is believed to have set the overall tone for England’s personality and identity. 

People usually start their readings off with the SUN sign, but I will begin with the Rising ( or Ascendant) sign in England’s chart, which like for all birth charts, sits in the First House. 

RISING

THE FIRST HOUSE determines your self-identity, or at the very least, the identity you project to the outer world as your outer persona. It is what people see at first glance when they meet you as a stranger. Your first house and the sign that falls in this house is the first impression, so to speak. It is the outer shell that encases the core of everything else in your birth chart and helps set the tone of your overall demeanor (including mannerisms and behavior). It also heavily influences your physical appearance from your face to your body. Whatever planet rules the sign within your first house, and thus the associated body part of that sign, will determine the most significant feature that stands out in your outward personality and appearance. One must also consider what I like to call the invading planet, which does not rule the sign; it simply sits in the house with the sign and can temper or amplify the extreme personality traits of that sign. The invading planet can also influence the features of the significant body part ruled by the sign by, for example, amplifying the body part's presence, subduing it, or adding additional features. Where the planet that rules your rising sign falls within your chart along with planetary aspects (such as trine, conjunction, or opposition to your ascendant or planet, etc.), is also of great importance. 

ENGLAND

The Anglo-Saxons arrived on Britannia’s shores after the fall of Rome, invited by Briton leaders who sought to use the mercenaries as a defense against other hostile tribes (such as the Picts). Abandoned and quickly succumbing to darkness without the fiery beacon of Rome to guide them, the island was ripe for the taking, and they soon found their mercenary friends to be hostile guests with ulterior motives. The Anglo-Saxons styled themselves as kings and established the Heptarchy (which consisted of seven kingdoms known as Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Sussex, and Wessex). It took centuries before the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms united as one in the face of yet another invasion of the island, this time by Vikings. King Alfred the Great laid the groundwork, but England didn't coagulate into a single kingdom until 927 CE under King Aethelstan. And yet, this event did not give birth to England as we know it (or him) today. The England of today that exists in the continuity of England from the past came to be when, in 1066 (and on Christmas day), William the Conqueror ascended the English throne (which had formerly been held by the Anglo-Saxons whom he cast down) and began a new and long chapter of Norman conquest. Coronations were usually held sometime between the late morning and early noon, so astrologers use the time 1200 noon as the exact moment Norman-ruled England came to be.

This time puts Aries in England’s first house, which the planet Neptune influences. In plain terms, Neptune in Taurus is semi-sextile Aries in the First House, and Aries is ruled by Mars, which is in Aquarius:

Rising sign: Aries ( The symbolic Golden Ram, Fire sign, Cardinal sign )

Primary Ruler of Aries: Mars (the god of war, agriculture, and father of Rome, the planet of action, sexual ardor, assertion, and aggression )

Mars location in the birth chart: Mars in Aquarius stationed in the 11th house (Aquarius is the symbolic Waterbearer, an air sign, and a fixed sign)

11th house: House of Friendships or the House of Hopes and Wishes

Influencing Planet: Neptune in Taurus (Neptune is the god of the sea, water, and horses. Neptune is the planet of dreams, illusions, intuition, spirituality, and the subconscious. Taurus is the symbolic Bull, an earth sign, and a fixed sign.)

In Greek mythology, the Aries is represented by the Golden Ram, who was sent by the gods to rescue two children from being sacrificed, a plot devised by their stepmother. Though one child did not survive this rescue (having fallen into the sea as the golden-fleeced ram flew over the raging waters to the land of Colchis), the child who did survive sacrificed the Golden Ram to give thanks to Zeus. The sign Aries is ruled by Mars, the god of war, defender of Rome, and the father of Remus and Romulus, the founders of Rome. In astrology, Mars is the Warrior Planet, which governs aggression, passion, and desire, attributes that are heavily associated with Aries, one of the three fire signs and one of the four cardinal signs (cardinal signs are naturally driven and ambitious). 

What does this mean for England? It means that his physical appearance, first impressions, and initial reactions to people and situations embody Aries/Martian characteristics. Again, it is what people see when they meet him and what he shows when he meets them. A snapshot, so to speak. What are Aries's physical characteristics? The Aries rules the head, so in terms of appearance, someone with Aries in the First House has strong and angular features such as a prominent chin, nose, or mouth. They can often appear younger than they are, with a baby face and youthful eyes. They tend to take on a reddish tint in their hair or skin. With red being one of the colors associated with Mars, the god of war,  people with Aries rising/ascendant often favor the color and incorporate it into their style or personality. Think of the Red Cross on St George. The Tudor rose, or the infamous red coat of the British military. Aries risings usually have an athletic physique, broad shoulders, and slim hips.  The Aquarian influence provided by the position of the ruling planet, Mars, makes the already angular features sharper than normal. 

To summarize, England would physically appear to the world as a baby-faced (possibly red-cheeked) man with a strong, angular jaw, a sharp Aqualine nose, and hard-set, narrow lips. His hair, though blonde, would have reddish undertones, and he’d favor the color red, at the very least, in his military uniforms, if not his everyday wardrobe. He’d stand rugged and mighty (as Aries risings do) with broad shoulders and narrow hips in his favored form-fitted iconic scarlet tunic that has become known the world over.

In terms of Aries personality traits, England would first appear to strangers and define/introduce himself to the world at large as a direct and hot-tempered man with a pioneering and industrious spirit who moves swiftly through life with a quick walk, head leaning forward ever so slightly as though he’s racing against time itself. Much like the ruler of his sign (Mars), he lives for action, which can frequently translate to conflict (such as war and enthusiastic conquest in lands abroad, you know the whole Rule, Brittania! and the sun will never set on the British Empire thing) or other risk-taking pursuits (privateering against the Spanish Armada, treasure hunting on cursed ancient grounds in Egypt, trekking through the wilderness of Australia). He often struggles with headaches and sinuses and perhaps struggled with acne on his face and shoulders in his youth. 

The planet Neptune in Taurus is positioned in the Aries-dominated First House, while Mars (the natural ruler of Aries) is posited in Aquarius in the 11th House. 

Neptune represents dreams, hopes, and idealism. It can also represent delusion and illusions, what people want to see or want others to see, and their expectations in conflict with reality. Neptune is the disappointment one may feel when finally confronted with reality. Neptune is the spiritual longing for a reality that does not exist. Neptune is also the god of the sea and waters, and has many a tale of causing shipwrecks and earthquakes. 

Taurus is a bull-headed creature who charges forward with stubborn persistence. It is associated with Zeus, who transformed into a beautiful white bull in a plot to abduct Europa, a Phoenician princess. 

It is also sometimes associated with the Cretan Bull and the frightful Minator who roamed the infamous Labyrinth. Coincidently, the Minator resulted from Poseidon (Neptune’s Greek counterpart), who cursed the Queen of Crete to fall in love with the bull after her husband refused to sacrifice the bull to the god of the sea. However,  in astrology, Taurus (an earth and fixed sign) takes on a comparatively gentler tone. Still bullish, stubborn, and persistent, but also practical, loyal, and patient. Naturally ruled by Venus, Taurus is a sign of love and beauty. 

Neptune in Taurus, especially when positioned in the first house, can make one naturally inclined to aesthetics and romanticism. They are not effortless so much as they are simply natural in all that they do and have a strong tendency to take on responsibilities that others won't. 

Neptune in Taurus aspecting the Aries rising in the First House makes England intuitively assertive. It gives him a dreamy warrior quality, like an Arthurian Knight from legend. It makes him a heroic, fiery crusader. It can also make him an overly aggressive, impulsive loner. Yet England has within him the ability to become the leader of any great cause. Like with the Allies during WWII or the Napoleonic Wars.  Perhaps he even joined Lord Byron -one of the most famous figures of the Romantic era- to support the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire, a cause that both men would have been deeply moved by. England feels lost without a moralizing, idealistic crusade by which he can leap head first and devote himself completely to and thus define himself. He’ll burn himself out in pursuit of any cause that stirs his heart, the murky waters of Neptune eventually turning his Aries fire into steam. Failing to live up to the expectation of the heroic and honorable knight (by perhaps losing a war or a battle under the banner of whatever cause he was championing) can leave him with everlasting disappointment and disillusionment with the cause. Though before reality wakes him up from his blissful war-waging slumber, he is all rose-tinted glasses and shiny armored knights with magical swords on beautiful white warhorses. The Neptune aspect influencing his Aries (ruled by the god of war) also plays a part in his penchant for naval warfare and the once mighty Royal Navy that spanned the globe, given that Neptune is the god of the sea. Neptune + Aries Rising = Britannia Rules the Waves!

Mars in the birth chart naturally represents your drive, energy, and approach to asserting yourself, and with Aries as the rising sign, this energy is emphasized in the First House. 

We’ve already discussed Mars but have yet to discuss Aquarius, where Mars sits in England’s birth chart. Aquarius is the symbolic water-bearer, Ganymede, a beautiful prince who Zeus fell in love with and abducted to be made a cup carrier to the gods. Aquarius as a sign is fixed, meaning it is inclined to stability and resistant to change, acting as a sort of anchor. Aquarius placements are independent, innovative, humanitarian, and idealistic. This means England's passion, drive, sexual ardor, and aggression are all geared toward independence, innovation, and idealism. 

Mars in Aquarius in the 11th house -the house of friendships- enhances England’s ability to unite people around a common, humanitarian cause ( ex. the Coalition Wars against Napoleon, the Concert of Europe, formation of Allied Powers in WWI and WWII). It’s also an indicator that he is fiercely independent (Rebellions against the Norman Conquest, the break from Rome by establishing the Church of England) and isn't shy about going against the grain if the norm conflicts with his principles. This brings to mind the creation of the Magna Carta, the English Civil War, and the following Glorious Revolution, which all saw radical political reforms within a traditionalist system (the transition from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy).  This placement also highlights his tech-savvy capabilities and innovation in technology, which makes sense considering that a significant amount of modern technology was either created by inventors in England or, at the very least, took inspiration from English inventions, especially in regard to computers/computing. As for sexual ardor? England is sexually attracted to the unconventional, the unique, the strange. He himself tries to appear unconventional, unique, and strange to attract like-minded individuals. Eccentric personalities are a novelty to him. He loves the unpredictable; he doesn't mind dabbling in the taboo out of curiosity and the spirit of experimentation.  More importantly, he is sexually attracted to the intellectually stimulating and intellectually stimulates others to spark attraction. A true sapiosexual. 

SUN

If one were to crack open the hard exterior of the rising sign, they would reveal the sun hidden within. 

The sun represents life and one's purpose in it. It represents destiny and the style in which you pursue it. The sun and the qualities of the sign it embodies are the core tenet of your being. It is the personal constitution that you live, breathe, and die by. It is the ego, the heart, the vitality. The house it falls in also helps shape the core identity and influences how the energy will manifest in reality. 

ENGLAND

The sun is in Capricorn for England, situated in his 10th house. 

Sun sign: Capricorn (Earth sign, Cardinal sign, the symbolic Sea Goat)

Ruled by Saturn, the god of time and harvest, the planet of discipline and structure

10th House: House of Career and Public Reputation 

Capricorns are represented by the Sea Goat (an incarnation of the Greek god Pan, who turned the lower half of his body into a fishtail) and ruled by Saturn, the god of time who consumed his children in fear of being overthrown (much like his Greek counterpart Cronus). Capricornians can usually appear to be thin and tall, with an air of gravitas and a face that reveals nothing. However, while the sun can influence the physical appearance, the rising sign has a greater impact. 

Capricorns are earth signs: grounded, rooted, and sturdy. Like all earth signs, Capricorns value and uphold prudence, stability, realism, and pragmatism in their day-to-day life. They are more financially literate than most people and good at capitalizing on resources and managing people. This brings to mind the Industrial Revolution, the part England played in creating it, and the use of resources and people to generate capital in his colonialist pursuits in North America, Asia, and West Africa. Think mercantilism between colonial America and Britain, an economic policy aimed to benefit the mother country by ensuring a favorable balance of trade and accumulation of wealth through a controlled economy. A perfect example of England as a Capricorn using resources and managing people to produce positive financial gains in his favor. He was even willing to abandon his morals by bringing slaves to North America to achieve this as well (and later on, using Indians and Irish as indentured servants in the Caribbean long after the abolishment of slavery and the slave trade). Capricorns MIGHT become bad people and do awful things when they really want money. This, of course, isn't unique to Capricorns, nor is it unique to England. The difference, however, is the level of efficiency at which he executes his plans to obtain money (or any goal/desire, really), no matter how morally wrong those plans are. Especially if he abandons idealism in favor of his instinctual pragmatism. (Though his idealistic Neptune in his first house eventually came into play by way of England using the British Royal Navy to abolish and prohibit the Atlantic Slave Trade.)

Capricorns are also cardinal signs: naturally ambitious, industrious, and goal-oriented. Cardinal signs like the Capricorn are hellbent on achieving their objectives, and not much can steer them from whichever path they’re set upon. They are also born leaders, willing and eager to call the shots. 

Capricorns stand apart from their fellow earthly and cardinal signs in that they are the builders of society, with the natural gift to plan, organize, and strategize their way into worldly accomplishments with dangerous efficiency. They are cool and self-contained, calm and reserved to a fault (to the point that it unnerves people who are the opposite), but beneath that hard shell, their feelings run deep, and their affections are best shown through loyalty to those that they love, a loyalty which they treat with the utmost importance and care. 

What does this mean for England? As stated before, the sun represents the core of your identity, and the core of his identity is Capricornian. In essence, England is unwavering, like a firmly planted tree with roots a million years deep into the earth. Immovable, like a great mountain, he cannot be swayed. It is his sense of stability and order or, at the very least, his pursuit of stability and order that makes him so impossibly formidable. Even when faced with a crisis, he’s dauntless and stoic. He carries on with a stiff upper lip. There are few things in this life that truly make his spirit quiver in fear. He is a solid man with a solid heart, and this disposition comes with negatives and positives alike. This is not at all to say that he is completely made of stone. He is still capable of feeling. When he deigns to (and sometimes even against his will), he can feel that affectionate loyalty and camaraderie toward his peers while in the heart of strife. Capricorns are all about structure and the importance of maintaining it, and what structure is more important than the one that makes up the concrete foundations of a family? It is another thing that England values. In his mind, it is integral to stability and order, and he will do just about anything in his power to maintain stability and order in his family with a stern hand. How the family might feel about it is of no importance, and he believes that in time, they, too, will come to see that it was all for the greater good. His love can be a bit callous, but it is love all the same. A disciplined sort of love. He also values society because it offers that benefitted structure he prioritizes. His forte is organizing and building governments, kingdoms, businesses, and empires from the ground up. He is a worldly man who finds pleasure in being part of society and finds even greater pride in being the reason why society works. Status is another value that, like all Capricorns, England holds dear. Sometimes, he’ll linger about in each block of the societal pyramid, staring in wonder at the neat way people fall into the right category from top to bottom. He loves them all and finds that his spirit resonates with each one, from the working class to the aristocrat. In his eyes, there is beauty to be found in each facet, like the different cuts in a glittering jewel, yet his heart will always belong to the crown, which gave birth to the values that make up the cornerstone of his being. He is married to it, and this is a pragmatic marriage, to be sure. After all, the wooden skeleton of it came into being when William the Conqueror usurped the throne from the Anglo-Saxon kings (whose conquest of Roman Britain conceived him, and thus he sprung forth from his conquered mother's metaphorical womb), and the monarchy exists in continuity of that single defining moment. But England found love and intimacy in this marriage, and they breathe as one. England is the crown, and the crown is England. 

He is not humorless, either. Though his humor, like most Capricorns, is dry and witty. 

England’s Capricorn sun sits in the 10th house, which is quite remarkable because Capricorn is the natural sign ruler of the 10th house. The 10th house represents ambition, success, and authority, amplifying the Capricorn's instinctual ambition, drive, and desire for authority and respect. The 10th house makes the Capricorn even more materialistic and instills within him the need to prove himself to the world, to elevate himself to the highest social status attainable. To him, there is nothing more important than his image and the respect that image can garner. As a result, he becomes authoritative and competitive in pursuit of his desires, yet he is the embodiment of professionalism. 

This spirit drove England to challenge the Spanish Armada to establish himself as a dominant force to be reckoned with. This spirit drove him to North America’s shores, eager to get a solid foothold in the new world before the rest of the European powers. It is this spirit that made him build the largest empire the world has ever known. 

MOON

The moon itself cannot emit its own light. Without the sun, it is covered in complete darkness, but when gifted a few rays of light, it illuminates what was once hidden. In a sense, the moon is a mere reflection of the sun, held up against it like a mirror so that the sun may see itself from within. All the aspects about oneself that cannot be gleaned when blinded by the sun's pure light are revealed on the moon's reflecting surface. This is essentially what a moon sign is: a portal into the inner self that exists in tandem with the sunny core. The moon sign represents how you go about dealing with the emotions you might or might not allow to the surface. While the sun sign can be you at your most resilient, the moon sign is you at your most vulnerable. The moon sign is the subconscious, the intuition, the dreams, and the memories. 

ENGLAND

England is a Pisces moon situated in the 12th house. 

Moon Sign: Pisces (the symbolic Fish, water sign, mutable sign)

Ruled by Neptune, god of the sea, the planet of dreams and illusions

12th house: House of the Unconscious or House of Secrets

Pisces is the symbolic Fish, a set of two fish who represent Aphrodite and Eros, who transformed themselves to escape the monster Typhoon. It is ruled by Neptune, the god of the sea, who represents dreams and illusions in astrology. Pisces is also a mutable sign, meaning it is adaptable just as much as it is restless. 

Pisces are the dreamers of the zodiac. People with the moon in Pisces fall completely in love with a fantasy world of their own creation. They view life through rose-colored glasses and are often given to flights of fancy. Yet individuals with the moon in Pisces are perhaps some of the most compassionate and empathetic human beings. If they find it within themselves to truly care about you, then your joy becomes their joy, and your pain becomes their pain. It sometimes becomes hard for them to differentiate between their own feelings and the feelings of others. If they’re truly connected to someone, they’ll drown beneath the waves of their partner's emotions. Yet their astute perception allows them to understand human nature in all its nuances and subtleties. 

The 12th house is by far the most spiritually intuitive and mysterious area of the birth chart. It is the ruler of the subconscious, vivid, surrealistic dreams, psychic abilities, and dark secrets kept hidden. With the moon already in Pisces, the empathetic nature of the Pisces moon only becomes more emphasised in this house. 

What does this mean for England? It means that he is a highly intuitive person. It means that he is dreamy and imaginative. After all, he loves nothing more than his fairies and his unicorns. It means that he is spiritual and mystical, dabbling in the dark arts and other forms of magic. It means that he is prone to self-sacrifice, willing to place himself in the line of fire to help those more vulnerable and weak. It means that he’s an escapist who finds solace and true peace in his own imagination than he does in the real world. Yet he understands the world better than most, all of its sharp and uncomfortable edges, and he understands people, how easily wounded they are by those hostile edges. He’s empathetic toward their pain, even if sometimes he is the cause of it, and will go out of his way to alleviate it or, at the very least, show remorse. To put it simply, in his heart of hearts, beneath the fiery aura of his Aries rising and the hard exterior of his Capricorn sun, he truly is a compassionate man, oftentimes silly and odd but capable of genuine kindness. He is a natural-born philosopher and artist as well and uses his ethereal nature to craft dreamy melodies and poems that sweep people into a misty daze (in a practical and mundane astrological sense outside of fictional England, think the real England’s production of Shakespeare, Lord Byron, Tolkien and the Beatles). 

He is poetic, mystical, and loves the arcane. He loves the magical.

ENGLAND SUMMARIZED 

England, on the outside, is a fiery-tempered man, driven by intellectual ardor and romantic idealism, in a never-ending pursuit of philosophical beauty wherever it can be unearthed. At his core he is a man who stands tall and sturdy in the face of adversity, who finds comfort in building places and people alike, and who values nothing more than his reputation. Emotionally, he is capable of profound empathy and understanding, sometimes to his own detriment and perhaps even the detriment of others. He is pragmatic yet given to delusions. He is hot-headed and bullish yet as cool as a winter's breeze. A man of multitudes, a tapestry of contradictions, a creature of both the mind and the soul. 

[baileythebean]

Reasons why you should read… Wings of Fire!!

Random LONG-ASS post but idc because this has been my favorite book series since 3rd grade and I still HEAVILY fixate on it - for anyone interested (after I explain ofc) These books are by Tui T. Sutherland and are available in audiobook, paperback, hardcover, and Kindle I think.

Reasons you might enjoy WoF and features of the books!

-creative character designs

-full plot with little to no holes and if there are any, they’re probably explained in one of the MANY side books available.

-well-written characters that can be powerful without being a “Mary Sue” and having their own personalities

-each book follows a different protagonist, sometimes with the protagonist switching up mid-book

-a prologue and epilogue in each book

-15 main books released so far with more coming!!

-STUNNING cover art

-the main characters are dragons!!

-Written like those fanfics where you read them and you forget you’re reading a fanfic but it’s still not quite written like an ‘official’ book, y’know?

-descriptive writing so you don’t have to imagine stuff in weird vague ways

-LOTS OF LGBTQIA+ rep! Including but not limited to: mlm rep, wlw rep, non-binary/non-conforming rep - and the best part about it? It’s casually brought up! It’s normalized! Not even the villains or shitty parents show an OUNCE of homophobia or transphobia!

-There are humans in these books! And POC rep!

-women in leading/strong roles :3

-different continents!

-different tribes of dragons each sharing similar traits depending on their habitat!! NOT JUST RANDOMIZED DRAGONS EVERYWHERE ALL MIXED TOGETHER WHERE YOU DONT EVEN KNOW WHO CAN DO WHAT!!

-Each book features a map of the continent it’s set on, a description of the dragons of each tribe living on that continent (including looks, powers, diet, affiliation in war depending on the book, and current Queen) and a page for the prophecy the book fixates around (different for each arc)

-Three arcs, each solving a different conflict but STILL IN THE SAME PLOT!!

-creepy mind-control stuff!

-well-written villains

-lines that have made me CACKLE out loud multiple times

-TONS OF SIDE BOOKS WITH EXTRA LORE/INFO IN THEM!!

-and so much more! Read them for yourself to find out!!

ALL THE BOOKS IN ORDER PLUS THE NAME, SPECIES AND A PICTURE OF THE PROTAGONIST IN PARENTHESES:

THE DRAGONETS OF DESTINY ARC: 1) The Dragonet Prophecy (Clay of the Mudwings)

2) The Lost Heir (Tsunami of the Seawings)

3) The Hidden Kingdom (Glory of the Rainwings)

4) The Dark Secret (Starflight of the Nightwings)

5) The Brightest Night (Sunny of the Sandwings/Nightwings)

THE JADE MOUNTAIN ARC: 6) Moon Rising (Moonwatcher of the Nightwings)

7) Winter Turning (Winter of the Icewings)

8) Escaping Peril (Peril ((the one in front)) of the Skywings)

9) Talons of Power (Turtle ((the green one)) of the Seawings)

10) Darkness of Dragons (Qibli of the Sandwings) (MY FAV CHARACTER YIPPEE)

THE PANTALA ARC: 11) The Lost Continent (Blue of the Silkwings)

12) The Hive Queen (Cricket of the Hivewings)

13) The Poison Jungle (Sundew of the Leafwings) (MY FAV BOOK YIPPEE)

THE RETURN ARC (not sure if that’s actually what it’s called but oh well): 14) The Dangerous Gift (Snowfall ((the one on the right)) of the Icewings)

15) The Flames of Hope (Luna ((the obvious-looking one)) of the Silkwings)

THERE ARE ALSO GRAPHIC NOVELS UP TO BOOK 7 SO FAR AND SIDE BOOKS LISTED HERE: Legends: Darkstalker

Legends: Dragon Slayer

A Guide to the Dragon World

The Winglets Quartet

There might be more but there are also a coloring book plus an activity/storymaking book and as far as I know the fandom is pretty non-toxic and full of artists and cosplayers!! So have funnnn :33

ALSO SEND ME ASKS IF THERES ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANNA KNOW ABT IT, I’D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM (sorry if Tumblr fucks up the image quality)

-IRL Bailey

@toniothegammafish @thesilliestofallqueers @rebootgrimm @ask-sora-aguilar @schnozzlebozzle

@bioexorcismss @piigeonss @weirdassartist @clown-prince-of-gay @lilacquintet 

@wakatoshi-main @metal-mage @vv4loe 

[racefortheironthrone]

Warhammer Gaslamp: Imperial Society

(For the Introduction, see here)

The State

In many ways, the Empire of Man in 2725 IC is scarcely recognizable compared to the rickety feudal monarchy of the 2500s. While the Grand Provinces still exist on paper, the vectors of power have transformed radically. In exchange for generous subsidies from the central government, seats in the Imperial Parliament's House of Nobles, and other privileges, the Elector Counts and the provincial nobility have ceded much of their de facto independence - such that it is now provincial law that must be approved by the Emperor's Prime Estates in Altdorf for harmony with Parliamentary law and Imperial regulation, not the other way around.

While the electoral franchise has been gradually extended to all adult men with an income of 12 marks (one for each of Sigmar's tribes), as well as veterans of all income levels, the Imperial Parliament's power of legislation and the purse is balanced by the immense state capacity of the Imperial Bureaucracy. A massive civil service of some 2 million public sector workers who answer to the Emperor and his Chancellor (who also serves as the Chairman of the Council of Ministries) the Imperial Bureaucracy is fanatically meritocratic and even though the sons of the elite are disproportionally represented (especially in the top ranks), mere birth and privilege are not enough to succeed in government. Even the bluest of bloods must still pass the draconian Entrance Exams and follow those up with a strong record of Yearly Performance Assessments in order to survive the political knifefighting and rise through the ranks.

In addition to the General Staff of the Imperial Armed Forces, the Treasury Ministry, and the Ministry of Industry and Public Works, one of the most influential of the Ministries is the Health Ministry. Emerging out of a longstanding compromise between the Farmer-Artisan Party and the Patriotic Party, the Health Ministry is in charge of the Sozialversicherung Gemeinschaft, which provides modest old age, widows and orphans, disability, and kurzarbeit pensions to all citizens of the Empire...as long as they give yearly blood samples to the Imperial Plasmic Survey. The Survey tests tens of millions of samples for signs of epidemic, industrial, environmental diseases, and malnuitrition, which it uses to triage people into Imperial Hospitals and District Health Centers.

Secretly, the Imperial Plasmic Survey also tests citizens for were-Beastmanism and other forms of mutancy, and signs of vampirism and vampiric transfusion (and increasingly less commonly, unlicensed witchcraft). The Health Ministry then passes on the information of anyone who fails their tests to the Schwarzmänner - the secret police descended from the Ancient Initiatic and Holy Order of the Templars of Sigmar - who will hunt you down like the dog you are.

The only way for one of the "Untervolk" to escape the hunt is to flee into the sewers, subway tunnels, and ancient sub-sub-sub basement communities known as the Undercities, where they fight a desperate war for survival (and food) against the Skaven.

The Church(es)

In the last two hundred years, most of the Imperial Cults have fallen under the benevolent paternalism of the Church of Sigmar; while Morr, Verena, Shallya, Myrmidia, Taal, Rhya, Mananna, and the like are honored by those who have need of their services, their clergy are largely dependent on the Church of Sigmar for their financial livelihood.

As I have already mentioned, the Church of Sigmar is increasingly polarized between the Orthodox Volkmarites and Radical Hussites. Socially conservative and stronger in the north and west of the Empire, especially among the bourgeoisie, nobility, and larger farmers, the Orthodox Volkmarites believe strongly in obedience to authority. In their doctrine, Sigmar's Plan has predetermined for every person in the Empire their proper place on the Great Chain of Being, and Sigmar does not make mistakes.

By contrast, the Radical Hussites are stronger among workers, agricultural laborers, and small farmers in the south and east of the Empire. The Hussites believe that "the Strength of Sigmar is in the People," and that all believers stand equal in the ranks of His Army. Moreover, Hussites believe in "Strength Through Progress," that in order to be strong, the Empire must constantly reform itself to meet the crisis of the day. Proof of the righteousness of their beliefs is to be found in the Avatars of Sigmar, who are continually born into the world to serve as the Messiahs of the People, and show them the new path – Valten the Martyr being the most famous of these Avatars. Hussites await the coming of a New Avatar of Sigmar in the coming Time of the Comet.

While most of the conflict between Volkmarite and Hussite are carried out in pulpits and Church councils, both factions also recruit and sponsor Hammermen, the modern descendants of the Warrior Priests of old, who still carry two-handed warhammers as symbols of their faith, although they have long since traded red robes for long Army-surplus greatcoats. Among the common people, the Hammermen are seen as incorruptible tribunes who will see that justice is done in all those cases that the Reichspoletzei don't consider worth their time, but they are equally likely to turn their warhammers on their rivals.

In recent decades, the religious status quo has been violently disrupted by the Neo-Ulricanism of Nietzsche Zarathustein. Growing ever stronger in the North, especially around New Middenheim-Ulricberg, Neo-Ulricanism emphasizes the need for the individual to move beyond conventional social authority and become independent moral agents in the world by continually testing their strength against the darkness. As Zarathustein writes in Man unt Wulf-Man, “he who wars against the abyss shall never fall into the abyss.”

Institutions of Learning

In addition to the Imperial War Academy and the various State Universities, the Imperial University of Neüscience and Techno-Sorcery bears particular mention, as it is the institution whose Technomancers have given the Empire the upper hand in economic development and mechanized warfare. When the winds of the Aethyr shifted westward starting in 2594, gradually bypassing the Old World and drawn across the Great Sea to the "gulf stream" effect of the Vortex of Ulthuan, magic began to weaken on the Continent, even as a new breed of super-engineers began to produce inventions and discoveries once only possible through sorcery.

While initially denounced by the Colleges of Magic and rigorously investigated by the Schwarzmänner, the Technomancers were vindicated by the fact that repeated tests done by the Imperial Plasmic Survey demonstrated not even latent aptitudes for witchcraft. Under pressure from the Emperor and the General Staff, and with the strong patronage of the Monopolhauses, the Imperial Colleges of Magic, the University of Altdorf, the Nuln College of Engineering, the Imperial Gunnery School, and the University of Nuln were merged into the Imperial University of Neüscience and Techno-Sorcery (known better as the “Exploding University”), with rival campuses in Altdorf (specializing in theoretical neüscience) and Nuln (specializing in applied neüscience).

The common people of Altdorf and Nuln would be more outraged by the dangerously weird and weirdly dangerous experimental research perpetrated by the faculty and student body alike, if the University wasn't such a boon to the local construction, manufacturing, and sanitation industries. As it is, they only storm the campuses with torches and bricks when the University forgets to pay its parking tickets, or when the wrong team wins the University Blood Bowl Cup.

[broadwaybalogna]

Zutara Last Five Years AU (pt. 5/12)

Read part 4 here:

-

For all their time spent living in a castle, Katara liked to think she and Zuko still lived ordinary lives. Katara would go grocery shopping, Zuko would help her make dinner on the weekends (when the cooks were off work), and they slept together every night in the same bed.

But there were these moments, these moments when Zuko seemed to drift off into an entirely different world as he sat in on council meetings and shared his two cents. He was like a whole different person. He would spend time just staring out of the large window opposite of their bed, his chest barely rising with his breath. And then a smile would spread across his face, proving his consciousness, and his love of the world around him. His eyes would light up and without a sound, everything seemed to come alive.

And Katara was a part of that.

And then days would pass as they ignored Zuko’s common behavior, acting like nothing had happened at all. Katara will buy their groceries, and Zuko will help make dinner on the weekends.

And then he’d daze off again, off to his own little world where no one can take him out, not even Katara. He’d pace their living room, walking for what seemed like miles. Or sit and think while grabbing a snack.

And then he’d smile again. That glint in his eyes that would force Katara’s annoyance away. How could she complain when he had that look on his face. That look of pure happiness. In those moments, she could see all the amazing things he could do.

And she was a part of that.

So yeah, she didn’t mind if she was often in his shadow, blocked by his major success as fire lord. She’ll just take his cue and roll with it. But she said she’d stick it out and follow through, and when she does, he smiles. That cheeky, heartwarming smile.

He’ll smile, and nothing else will make sense as he reconnects the Fire Nation, Earth, Kingdom, and Air Nomad culture, with Katara working on the Water Tribes.

So yeah, she’s a part of that.

She reads through Zuko’s newest law.

She’s a part of that.

”With help from my advisors, council, and the infamous Avatar Aang…”

Isn’t she?

”As we work to reconnect the fallen nations once again into peace and prosperity for all.”

And suddenly, she feels apart of it all.

-

Read on AO3 here:

[fromwhenceucame]

Round 2 of my favorite characters as warrior cats lets go — Sylvain, Claude, and Dimitri edition

Once again I throw logic out the window for actual cat markings/colors/whatever because I design based on vibes and I was only able to work a crest onto Sylvain (the red around his eyes resemble the two parts of the gautier crest) but I did try very hard to get the other two to have theirs (Dimitri gave me a stupid amount of trouble to get vibed right).

I knew I needed to put a heart on Sylvain for Sylvain reasons, and I thought it would be delightful if he only had it on one side — his other being just dark… I also really wanted to include black on him since his class outfits usually use black and red annnnnd the cat breed named after Gautier is a black and white cat.

Meanwhile, Claude is highly inspired by wyverns in the game. The lighter brown is basically wherever it would be on a wyvern, and the fact of his stripes are mostly from the Reigan tabby but also resembling the layered(?) look wyverns have… the scales, basically, with white stripes being used for more prominent scales (sort of, mostly because his wyvern is white and I needed to include it but he looked wrong with white stripes). His ear tufts represent wyvern horns/antlers, or they represent deer antlers! His tail and spots are deer-like, too.

And Dimitri !! He needed to be big and fluffy; and, he needed to have a mane with rounded ears like a lion so that’s the bulk of my ideas. The black part on his back is like the fur cloak he has post timeskip and his toes being black were just because I thought it would be neat 👍

I have been thinking about fe3h warrior cats in the back of my mind for over 2 years apparently, and it’s so easy to say we have Eagleclan, Lionclan, and Deerclan… that’s why those are the three clans. Maybe this world works a little differently, too, and the church is a band of clan cats who are always in contact with Starclan (allegedly) and therefore partially govern all the clans… Wolfclan also exists, but it’s not a real clan — it’s a band of rouges or loners who are doing their thing led by Yuri

Starting with Lionclan life, sometimes I remember that Thunderclan had a succession way back in the day with Oakstar to Pinestar and that is how Lambert wanted it to go before ~tragedy~ and I don’t know if it was Rufus or someone else who takes over afterwards but I do know that when Sylvain was a kit, a part of him really wanted to be a medicine cat but he never went down that path… though he does know a lot more about herbs than your average warrior! Good for him. At somepoint when it’s time for the timeskip, Dimitri disappears for 5-12 moons (I think 60 moons would be the 5 years but that feels too long for cats), becoming a rouge wandering the clans’ territories and picking off mostly Eagleclan like your unfriendly neighborhood cryptid. Eventually he’s normal again and not doing that, reclaiming the leadership position.

And with Deerclan I have not as many thoughts for I am not sure what makes the most sense for Almyra to be. Maybe something closer to the tribe? I do not know. What I do know is Claude came from there and got to be in the clans for a good long while, quickly rising to the rank of leader by the time the timeskip passes. I feel like Deerclan would be extra not happy about him simply showing up if that’s what goes down, so I support it happening. Kind of like how Tallstar makes Onewhisker the deputy on his deathbed, but it’s Claude’s grandpa doing that to Claude.

And I have a lot of name ideas for fe3h life !!

When I initially thought of names for specifically Lionclan/Faerghus, it was as if they were from Riverclan so the names on my mind have a very Riverclan-based scheme… but I really like some of them. Like “Shellrain” for Sylvain, I think it’s so fun if the name actually sounds like their real name. I needed to put “Rain” in as the suffix for Sylvain for that reason.

I think Lambert, who could be “Lightbass” or “Landbass” depending on how far you want to go with the names sounding alike, would name Dimitri “Lionkit” when he’s born. Then he can become “Liontrout” or “Liontree” again, depending on how far you want to go. Though, maybe his name is “Lionshade” “Lionshadow” or something else suspicious because it would probably be Rufus (who is Runfur because that is the closest I can get to it being Rufus) or someone else who doesn’t support him naming him at the time… unless warrior names are given out by the church group… hmmmm…

Regardless, I’m again not sure what Almyra is in connection to the clans, but Claude definitely has two names, and in the clans he goes by “Deerclaw.” Claw is the best suffix ever if you want to make a word that sounds like Claude (just like rain) so it has to be it, and “deer” is a very obviously accepted prefix for the clans. I don’t know what his original name should be yet, however.

And that’s all I got, but I have one more pair to contemplate (Aventurine and Dr Ratio) in the coming days before I start digging deeper into the other cats so stay tuned \o/ yippie

[dangermousie]

My Top 50 cdramas

Someone asked me to make this and my previous list is way out of date (it was made in Jan 2020.) I will never claim these are the BEST cdramas, just that they are my favorite (for example, I fully realize that The Wolf is far inferior to Chang’an, but it’s a list of favorites, not bests.) If you look at this list and hate half of them, it doesn’t mean you have better or worse taste, just that you probably shouldn’t take my drama recs.

50 Twisted Fate of Love

49 Little Fairy

48 Red Dust

47 Ice Fantasy

46 Glamorous Imperial Concubine

45 The Virtuous Queen of Han

44 Chinese Paladin 3

43 Princess Agents

42 General and I

41 Secret of the Three Kingdoms

40 Luoyang

39 Siege in Fog

38 Love In Between

37 Jade Palace Lock Heart

36 One and Only

35 Nirvana in Fire

34 Vigilantes in Masks

33 Nirvana in Fire 2

32 Listening Snow Tower

31 Sound of the Desert

30 Return of Condor Heroes 2006

29 Heroes

28 Young Warriors of the Yang Clan

27 Three Kingdoms 2010

26 Battle of Changsha

25 The Advisors’ Alliance seasons 1 and 2

24 Love Like the Galaxy

23 The Ingenuous One

22 Till the End of the Moon

21 Word of Honor 

20 Legend of Condor Heroes 2008 

19 Three Lives Three Worlds Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms

18 Novoland Tribes and Empires

17 Bu Bu Jing Xin

16 Royal Nirvana

15 Love and Redemption

14 Lan Ling Wang

13 The Untamed

12 The Longest Day in Chang’an

11 Ever Night 1 

10 The Wolf

9 Go Ahead

8 Goodbye My Princess

7 The Rise of Phoenixes

6 Joy of Life

5 Love Between Fairy and Devil

4 The Myth

3 The Rebel Princess

2 Novoland Eagle Flag

1 The Story of Minglan

[natlacentral]

‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Crown Prince Dallas Liu Had Elliott Smith on his Zuko Playlist

With the Netflix show officially renewed for two more seasons, the actor talks to GQ about his personal style, his cult series PEN15, and bending lightning.

Before he found his calling, Avatar: The Last Airbender star Dallas Liu considered becoming a stuntman. But when Liu was only 12 years old, his soon-to-be manager discovered his competition videos on YouTube and asked him if he'd ever thought about acting. The answer was yes: “Martial arts had definitely inspired me to become an actor, because of the performance aspect of it,” Liu tells GQ from his home in California.

Now, at 22, Liu’s credits include a Gen-Z cult comedy (PEN15) and a high-profile Marvel film (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.) He’s been able to channel his eclectic background to play the complicated villain at the center of the Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise, Fire Nation royal Prince Zuko.

A few weeks before Netflix announced that Avatar had been renewed for a second and third season, Liu talked to GQ about how playing Prince Zuko changed him, his love of A24 films, and the Pen15 renaissance.

Were there any Avatar scenes that you were really excited to film?

All of the flashbacks. All of episode six was super fun, but specifically the scene between Aang and Zuko in that shed after an escape. And then, when Zuko sort of blows up at Zhao, at the fight at the Northern Water tribe.

The writers had given me a lot of good stuff to work with, and so I was just happy that in our show Zuko gets a character arc. In the first season of the animated series, he’s sort of one-note and quite melodramatic in each scene—he's sort of being repetitive about his motives. [But] he was always my favorite character as a kid. I just loved Zuko. Being able to play him was a dream come true.

I saw in another interview that you said that it was great to humanize him. Was there anything that you kind of discovered about yourself through playing Zuko, because he's such a complicated character?

Yeah, since he’s so complex, playing him opened up my heart while I was off-set. When I had originally arrived in Vancouver to work on the show, I was similar to Zuko in that I was very narrow-minded in what I wanted to do, in terms of how I wanted to be an actor on set. I thought this was my one opportunity in life to prove to the people that I have a spot in this industry.

I was like, I'm focused on my work, do my job, go home, rest, and just take care of myself. And throughout that process, that's what it feels like with Zuko and Iroh. Zuko is like, "I'm just going to capture the Avatar, and then return them to my father and then I get to go home." And we see that that's not the case.

There are so many things that are involved in this journey that Zuko and Iroh go on, and something that I felt was my relationship with the other cast members and with the crew members started to grow. I found myself wanting to open up my heart and share this experience with them, and share all the love that I had inside of me that I had been trying to hold back on.

If you were not playing a character from the Fire Nation, what powers would you want to have personally?

Oh, it still definitely would be fire. It’s the most aesthetically-pleasing one in my opinion. In the world of Avatar, you can start to manipulate other elements once you become a master of that base one, and I think lightning is something that I've always thought would be super cool to bend. I think fire represents me, my heart.

What's your Zodiac sign?

I'm a Leo.

That adds up.

Wait, why?

Leo is a fire sign!

Oh, yeah, that's true!

Have you seen the TikToks about the Pen15 renaissance?

During my time shooting it, Pen15 was still blowing up. It's been on this continuous rise, which I'm so happy because that show—now it's really, really popular. But at the time, it was so underrated. I was still tapping into a younger version of myself on that series. But [for Avatar] I took inspiration from watching Maya and Anna act out as kids, for Zuko being an innocent child himself in the war meetings, in that first scene with Uncle Iroh in episode six.

I mean, you were still a kid. You were 16. That's a child.

Yeah. Yeah. Well, I guess it's a lot closer to Zuko, and that he doesn't think he is.

Did you really shave your head for this, or did you do a bald cap?

Given that we were trying to stay faithful to the original and what it represented in the show, I thought it was extremely important for me to shave my head. I had a choice. I won't get into what it represents so much, but you get to see a little bit in some of the Avatar lore that exists outside of our series. But it gets you into character so much because it pisses you off so badly every morning. Waking up on the weekends when I'm not working and I just want to go out, I have to throw on a beanie. But waking up and staring at myself—This is my life now, this is who I am—I think it certainly got me into character very easily.

I really liked your red velvet suit at the premiere. How has your style evolved from your younger years to now?

My mom has always been my biggest fashion influence. She's the one who sort of turned me into this picky critic when it comes to outfits and clothes. Even when I was younger, I wouldn't ever let her pick out my outfits. And because I didn't let that happen, I ended up looking really stupid and goofy a lot of the time.

But I think everyone starts in sneakers—very common, especially for guys. You start with basketball shoes, and then you transition into Jordans, and then you transition into some form of streetwear after that. And at that point, you could go, I think, either into this world of vintage or archive clothing, or obviously, people love designer clothing and mixing up that world of streetwear with that.

But for me, I think I just really elevated basics. My style has just become less about brands, obviously, and more about quality. I'm 22 now, so I'm paying for all of this stuff myself. So I'm like, is this worth it? Am I going to be fine without this? On carpets for the Avatar premiere, I wanted to go all out. When I'm in real life, I just stick to all black and different shades of gray.

Did you make a playlist for Zuko, his character to get into character?

I did, but at some point, I stopped using it just because I sort of found my groove from the character. But some artists that were in there were Elliot Smith and Duster.

Which Elliot Smith songs did you put on there?

“Between the Bars.” And just all of his most popular stuff for sure, because especially “Between the Bars” relates to some part of Zuko's life, whether it was his actual scar banishment or catching the Avatar.

Are there any genres you want to dabble in next?

I honestly love drama so much. Obviously, the new Dune film just came out and I just love Denis [Villeneuve]. Every actor, I feel like can agree with me on [that]—and that we want to do an A24 film. But honestly, I'm still just trying to take any work that I can get, because I do want to show my range as an actor. I'd love to work with Willem Defoe on something, that'd be cool. So, just projects that are grounded, but have a stylistic element that separates it from Hollywood blockbusters.

[companion-of-the-dragonmark]

HTTYD Book Fanfic Idea Poll

Hello, my fellow Dragonmarkers! Today, I've decided to make a poll. There are several ideas I'd like to work on, however, I'm struggling to choose which one to start on first. Granted, I have a feeling I know what you guys want me to work on first, but I still want to ask anyways. 😏

So before you vote, I'd like to list down the options below and a little summary as to what each choice will be about.

『 These story ideas will try to cling to canon events as much as it can, or at least be loyal to it as canon-inspired. 』

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Exile on Cannibal Isle

(Book 1) What if the adults had decided to banish their youth that evening after their failure, regardless of the thunderstorm? Our hapless youths end up becoming Outcasts — not on the Mainland, as planned, but on Cannibal Isle instead: an island filled with natives and Outcasts who had a fondness for human flesh. How will Hiccup, Thuggory, and Co. escape their current predicament? And will they return in time before the Green Death roasts their Tribes to well-done human kabobs?

The Viking Tribes of the Barbaric Archipelago

This is a nonfiction fanfic that dives into the geography, history, culture, and customs of every Viking Tribe in the Archipelago (in the Books). You can look at this as a Guide to the Archipelago (an All You Need to Know About X book), or as a history book composed by a future historian. Take your pick.

Thuggory's Saga

This story will be on Thuggory's POV throughout the Books and what was going on behind the scenes when Thuggory wasn't around.

Thuggory Name Parody Series

This work will be a one-shot series consolidated into one story that has Thuggory doing various things based on what his name is (i.e. Thuggory will be thuggish, Muggory will be drinking a mug or mugging somebody, Chuggory will be chugging ale, etc).

Fishlegs' Saga (Saga of the No-Names)

(Post Book 12) Fishlegs saga unfolds during the Reign of Hiccup the Third, King of the Wilderwest, and accounts his rise to power as Chieftain of the No-Name Tribe and as Chief of the Bards.

The Tale of Two Swords

Told from Endeavor's POV (and sometimes from Stormblade's), this story delves into their respective origins, how they came into the hands of their respective owners, and the events leading up to the conflict between Alvin the Treacherous and Hiccup the Third. Two swords, two grudges, two wills, two forces, and two ideologies will clash for supremacy!

Hiccup's Saga

(Post Book 12) This story will focus on Hiccup's story AFTER his ascension as the 13th King of the Renewed Kingdom of the Wilderwest. As well as his achievements, his experiences, his struggles, and his life milestones. This will try to stay loyal to the books and to the books' epilogues.

Hiccup the First's Saga

Told from Hiccup's POV until he meets Wodensfang, which will then transition to Wodensfang's POV ever afterwards. This will get into the details of his birth, the war with the Uglithugs, the Hooligans getting ousted from the Mainland and their migration to Berk; it will get to Hiccup's childhood and adolescence, the start of the brutal Human-Dragon Wars, and how he eventually meets Wodensfang; then his defeat of Merciless/Green Death, the founding of the Kingdom of the Wilderwest, and his achievements and milestone events as King, until his death.

Hiccup's Young Chief AU

This story idea dives into what would happen if Hiccup had to become the new Chief of Berk early on in his youth. From this point, we have several options to choose from.

1) Have this be a sequel to "Exile on Cannibal Isle" if the ending ends up being tragic for the adults, and Thuggory and Hiccup are left to pick up the pieces after slaying the Green Death.

2) Have this set in Book 2, if Stoick dies in the fight against Alvin, as a consequence of the curse of Grimbeard's treasure.

3) Have this set in Book 7, when Madguts the Murderous was about to execute Big Bertha and Stoick in revenge, and Hiccup failed to return on time.

4) Have this set in Book 9, when Stoick is missing (via Excellinor the Witch), and Hiccup never finds him again.

5) Have this set in Book 9 when all the adults are missing or perished, and the Warriors-to-Be are the only ones left in the School (aside from the Outcasts, obviously), and so everyone has to fight together in order to escape.

6) Have this set in Books 10/11 when Stoick dies in battle and Hiccup is forced to lead his Tribe in their fight against both Alvinsmen and Dragons.

Alvin's Saga (or Saga of the Outcasts)

(Pre-HTTYD) This focuses on Alvin's origins: from his birth, to his upbringing, to how he turned his Tribe into one of the most "modern" and dangerous Tribes in the Archipelago, how he came across the Legend of the King's Lost Things, his fateful encounter with his future arch-nemesis Hiccup, and his gradual elevation to ultimate power. I might have this story end once he meets with Hiccup. Or maybe I end it with his death. That's up to you guys.

Snotface Snotlout's Saga

(Pre-HTTYD / HTTYD) This story focuses on Snotface Snotlout's origins: from his birth, to Hiccup's birth, to the origin of his rivalry with him, and so on — right up to his death! (Or I could keep him alive instead?)

Wodensfang's Saga

This saga focuses on Wodensfang's origins: His birth, his life, how he ended up in Merciless' rebellion, how he meets Hiccup the First, his time with him, the days of his successors, the dark times of Grimbeard the Ghastly and Hiccup the Second, his time in the volcano with the crown, his meeting Hiccup the Third, the dark times of Furious' rebellion, Hiccup's crowning, and the events afterwards.

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Sadly, due to the limits of the poll, I was unable to add more. So here's the rest of them.

Wilderwest Whumpfest

A one-shot series focusing on whumping various characters in the books. This could be something minor like fatigue or backaches, sickness or injuries, sorrow for something, or even something as extreme as actual death or tragedy.

Companions of the Dragonmark

This work, as you already know from a previous post, focuses on platonic pairings in this series. There will be various types, such as human & dragon, human & weapon, human & human, human & pet, etc. Also includes friends, family, mentor-student, and even stranger (first time meeting) or acquaintance relationships.

Antagonistic Pairing Series

This work is something that I’ve just recently came up with, which focuses on antagonistic pairings. This can be pairings between hero/villain, villain/villain, villain/antagonist, hero/antagonist, antagonist/antagonist, etc. Pairings can include, Hiccup and Alvin, Snotlout and Thuggory, Alvin and Excellinor, UG the Uglithug and Excellinor, Madguts and Big Bertha, Snotlout and Hiccup, etc.

I’m liking this because nobody really writes fanfics that focuses on antagonistic pairings. Only romantic and platonic pairings.

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Thank you very much for your support! I look forward to the results of your votes, and I'll let you guys know what the top 3 choices are once the poll's closed.

Long Live the Wilderwest!

— Companion of the Dragonmark