#Dire Wolf is going to be the best big sister ever

[pushing500]

They were on their way to bed and Buckeye decided it was a good time to strike up a deep conversation.

Bella grew up into an adult (a thirteen-year-old, but it's all same-same in RimWorld), and she has the "hulk" body type, which I admit jumpscared me a little. Still, I look forward to drawing a pigskin Amazonian warrior wearing fancy gowns and using table manners worthy of a princess.

Aha! The perfect opportunity for newly-adult Bella to put her medical skills into practice!

Welcome to the cult, Marty Night Stalker. Nice to see Blackdragon keeping up the tradition of naming his newborn children unnecessarily badass names.

I do like the Millie Mossler and Marty Mossler alliteration for the two siblings, though. Good work on that one, Duchess!

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[lady-of-lyon]

So, I made one post a while back about how awesomely feminist the show Wild Kratts was, with how its two main female characters were women of color in engineering and deserving roles of power, female villains who weren’t motivated by spite or quest for youth, etc, but today I wanted to talk about something slightly different, that I’ve wanted to cover for a while now, because I also think it’s very good - and that’s how the show portrays masculinity, in a way that’s really positive!

First, we have our two main characters, Chris and Martin Kratt. Keep in mind these two are basically self-inserts - and there are plenty of creators, especially males, who have used self-insert characters in really scummy ways - all I have to say is Powerpuff Girls reboot and you know exactly what I’m talking about. Even if they weren’t literal self-inserts, male characters, superheroes especially, oftentimes serve the male power fantasy, being just the strong, stoic, all-powerful person so many boys are told they’re supposed to be. I could get into a whole discussion about how the male power fantasy is present even when males are not (ever look through a fashion magazine and wonder why there are so few men? Sure, part of it is that the industry thrives off exploiting women’s insecurities, and men aren’t as concerned for their appearance, but another part of it is so that the guy, looking through it, can feel like he has no competition for these women - there’s a reason so many comedians have jokes about fashion magazines being their sexual awakening as kids. It’s really scummy) but that’s not what this is about. So, the bros had every opportunity to do just that - make themselves these traditional heroes who aren’t actually really good role models, like batman or what have you. It’s certainly not uncommon for celebrity cartoons to do stuff like that. But Martin and Chris chose a different approach. They’re pretty strong standouts for positive masculinity. They’re openly affectionate - both with eachother as brothers, and with their friends. They cry, sometimes over little things - most of the time when big superheroes cry, it’s ‘cause they lost the girl they loved or their mentor or something like that, only in the big, most agonizing moments do they shed a tear. But here, Chris or Martin will cry just because they’ve had a bad day, or because they’re overwhelmed and overjoyed that someone named a mantis after them! In a lot of shows or movies when a guy cries over something little, it’s usually played for laughs, or to emasculate him, but here it’s casual without being unreasonable or overdone. The brothers cry just ad much, maybe even more (haven’t gone back and counted or anything) as the girls do. Not to mention, it’s a very nice depiction of a loving, healthy sibling relationship. As the youngest sibling myself, it’s refreshing to see a pair who don’t abuse eachother with noogies or cruel and snarky remarks. When they do fight, it’s never a screaming match, and also because they had a conflict of interest or disagreed over a fact, not because, say, one of them stole the other’s shirt or is neglecting the other’s feelings. Kids, being very impressionable, get exposed to a lot of abusive sibling relationships played as normal in media, and start thinking this is how siblings are and should act. For instance, my sister (who is now my best friend and has gotten over all these bad habits over time) when she was younger watched a lot of Kim Possible, a show that is great, but has a bad family dynamic with Kim and her little siblings. The “tweebs” as she calls them are always irresponsible, destructive, and making Kim annoyed to no end. My older brother was one of the most polite, reserved, kind little kids, but she still treated him like he was a brat and a nuisance, because that’s what shows like Kim Possible taught her little brothers were. Additionally, I was always treated like a spoiled crybaby who just wanted attention and got away with everything - I was not any of those things, ever, but that’s what shows teach you little sisters are. Sure, Wild Kratts has a smidge of that, with Chris seemingly being the stereotype of the know-it-all little sibling, but instead of being constantly looked town upon for being too “perfect” like with Hailey Long in American Dragon, Martin often praises his brother for his abilities. Sure, Martin gets annoyed when Chris tries to correct him on things, like in the episode Wolf Hawks, but everyone else does too, so it feels more like a take-down of mansplaining than a sibling spat.

I talked too in the feminist post about how refreshing it is that Chris and Martin more or less willingly put themselves under the authority of Koki and Aviva, two women of color. I don’t think it’s possible to say any one character is the “leader,” they all work as a evenly balanced team, but it’s safe to say that Koki and Aviva make the more responsible decisions. The bros try to get out of their calls a few times, but the show plays it more like they’re being irresponsible, and less like they’re renegade cool dudes who don’t take nothing from nobody, especially not two girls. They are pretty much always punished via karma for their reckless choices, most especially in To Touch a Hummingbird, where their arrogant attitudes blow up in their faces rather spectacularly. We also never see the narrative most present in sitcoms, where the male leads mess up and go out of their way to cover it up and ultimately gets away with it - after all, you have to root for them, right, because sure they messed up and had no consequences, but aren’t they just so lovable? No, here Martin and Chris always have to fix their wrongdoing, and it’s always deserved when they get comeuppance. Another aspect of the show I like is that, many times, when the bros get captured or are in peril, they are saved by the women - and most refreshing of all, there’s never a moment of “wink wink nudge nudge wow I can’t believe I had to be rescued by a GIRL” or even “wow you saved me you’re pretty good honey guess I shouldn’t have underestimated you, you go girl!” No, when the girls save them, it’s just - you know, relief? Because they were saved? It’s never a scenario played as an exception, or any more dire than when the bros need to rescue eachother. The bros are genuinely happy to have them as teammates. The show even did the standard “boys vs girls” episode in the form of When Fish Fly - but instead of being actually girls vs. boys, it’s engineers vs. adventurers. There’s nothing really gendered about it - the girls happen to be engineers, and the boys happen to be adventurers. And the episode doesn’t end with the boys being “wow gosh darn I shouldn’t have doubted you girls are better at everything,” it’s a mutual agreement that both parties have hard jobs. Basically, the bros are very naturally respectful of women. That plays more into their feminist narrative too, but either way, it’s refreshing.

Then, we have Jimmy! Jimmy, the lovable gamerboy pizza man. At first glance Jimmy seems like the stereotypical cowardly, pathetic, emasculated loser. He’s frightened of most things, as of yet has no power suit, and he BAKES for crying out loud! But none of these things are framed as terribly bad traits. Sure, we laugh when he screams and runs from an animal, but though it happens over and over, the crew doesn’t get sick of it. They don’t berate him or belittle him because he’s so gosh darn cowardly. There’s a great scene in Rattlesnake Crystal where Jimmy has to deliver something to the bros alone, in the middle of a spooky desert. He is terrified the whole time, sprinting off after he delivers the goods. When Martin and Chris run into him, they don’t laugh at him for being spooked, they just greet and then bid fair well to their friend. To them, this is just Jimmy, and there’s nothing wrong with it. Jimmy isn’t coddled, but he is reassured many times that he’s a valuable member of the team. I love that little message, that you’re just as important of a person even if you can’t do as much or have greater limits. When his friends do try to get him over his fears, it’s not because they have to, that the day will somehow be ruined by Jimmy’s incompetence p, but because they’re his friends, and want him to experience fun and wonderful things that he would otherwise miss out on. But what Jimmy CAN do is just as important! Jimmy is a gamer, which in a lot of shows, is portrayed as a lazy, useless, mindless hobby. But here, because he plays video games, it makes him essential for piloting the ship and teleporting important items. There’s always the joke that video games improves your hand/eye coordination, but recent studies have shown it has much better effects. It can make you much better at keeping track of multiple moving objects and processing technical but variable information- two traits which, fittingly enough, are really really important for air traffic controllers and airplane pilots! He also demonstrates a lot more courage behind the wheel of the Tortuga, which makes sense - in an impersonal setting, he would have more sense of calm and control and courage, because it’s so similar to a video game world. It’s not all too different with how I feel more emboldened to pick fights with people on the internet, but get crazy anxious if a real person so much as looks at me. So Jimmy’s love of video games isn’t because he’s irresponsible, it has real benefits. A quick last point - Jimmy also eats a lot, but they thankfully don’t make him fat or greedy or anything like that. He never takes food from people, he actually bakes, and shares it with others! Having the baker be a boy is a lovely touch.

I might do another post about the toxic masculinity of the two villains, (or four villains, I guess, if I wanna discuss the minions) but I’ve got other work to do, and this post is long enough already, so I’ll get around to it later. I’ll sum it up with this - Wild Kratts is a show that teaches boys it’s not only ok to be kind, but essential. The brothers protect defenseless animals, advocate for things “icky” and “weird,” like bugs or snakes or worms - not because they’re boys, and boys like icky things, but because they genuinely see the beauty in all life, and are encouraging us to slow down and do the same. The Wild Kratts are heroes who save the world not by being the strongest or smartest or coolest, but by looking after those who are exploited and vulnerable, who are essential to the world, even if they can’t always do everything. In Wild Kratts the only weaknesses a man can have isn’t what he can’t do, but what he does do that he shouldn’t have. Sure, it’s a cute show about two funny guys who have cool powers, but it’s also a show about accountability, compassion, respect and trust. The show says “boys will be boys” in all the right ways - Martin is a lovable goof with a heart of gold, but he still has to get his act together when he messes up, and he’s still creative and smart and openly sensitive. Chris is a bit of a know-it-all show-off, but he can also mess up as much as his brother, and is still bold, brave, adventurous, and can put his money where his mouth is. Jimmy is a cowardly, napping, eating machine video-gamer, but he’s still a valued member of the team, has incredible skills and talents, and will always help his friends, even if he is really, really scared. It is so important to have role models like these, in a world dominated by unhealthy machismo. The Wild Kratts are heroes who save the world - both animated, and real.

All they need now is a canon queer character, and I’ll stan them forever! My money’s on Aviva!!

[yandere-sins]

Imagine Yandere Werewolf Bakugou was kidnap and a slave by a witch then Y/N who is a retire knight kills the witch. Y/N sets him free but like he has no where to go. He has been a slave for a long time that his pack is gone some where, he is weak from the lack of food, and shelter. Y/N is like, "You can stay with me for awhile. I don't mind." Y/N lives in a comfy cabin and this is where Bakugou felt warmth in so long by this knight treated him kindly. Y/N thinks herself as an older sister.

@popcornsalazar Thank you for requesting, was a really interesting idea! ♥

»»————-———— ♡ ————————-««

When did he forget who he was?

He was Bakugou Katsuki, the strongest, biggest wolf of his pack, undefeated ever since he tore away from his parents and attract his own followers! He was a werewolf, a strong, dangerous creature that could maul any small little human figure. And yet, he had been captured by a simple witch, a nobody, someone who needed a piece of wood to cast some spells, say abracadabra and ride on a broom.

So when had he decided that this was okay? Living at the witch’s side for so long, being nothing but a guard dog, only ever taken off the magicial, invisible leash to scare away unwelcome visitors. He, the great Katsuki, a simple pup on a rug, chained down and greedy for every bone thrown his way. How could it have come to this?

And then, how had it come to you being allowed into the witch’s lair, cutting her head right off without even noticing him? You had no armor, no flag - a sign of belonging to a kingdom - stitched up on your clothes, and yet you had handled the sword with precision, blood splattering everywhere without even a wrinkle of concern on your face. At that time, he didn’t know why you even came, simply spilling blood without any word and turning to leave without a blessing or another thought.

If he hadn’t objected, ask you to help him, you would probably left him there to starve. Luckily, the moon phase had just ended, turning him back into a human, and he remembered your red face as he approached you, still chained and naked. Your first reaction had been to throw a fur rug at him, but at least you had heard him out, believed him when he told you his sad tale of captivity.

Just… the werewolf part. That he didn’t tell you.

Freeing him from his chains, you had helped getting him a cloak to cover up, inviting him to track back to your hut, so he could eat and get his strength back after being held capitve for so long. You must have noticed his rips shining through his skin, the countless scares adorning him. Even if they weren’t from the witch per se, it was a good thing he was so proud of them, loving to show them off, adding something to the pity you found for him.

For the first time in long, he felt alive again. Conversing, laughing, hearing of the outside world. It had been years apparently, since the witch caught him, as unbelievable as it was. Even if this wasn’t the rush of a hunt, the feeling of bones cracking in his jaw, it still was… satisfying. He couldn’t deny it.

Maybe he should have feared you. Feared the silver blades that you liked polishing and sharpening in case of an emergency. You were a knight, trained to kill, having done so countless times. The witch had done nothing to you, aside, apparently, taking a child from the nearby village. But you were just like him, a hunter, a killer. You liked the thrill, and didn’t mind the dirt and blood.

You were also annoyingly concerned about others how he found.

That was the only reason you even took it upon yourself to kill the witch and take him in. Nothing more than feeling so much empathy, that you’d even give him your bed to sleep in and cook more than you could afford to feed him, even if he couldn’t give you anything in return. Even when he swore upsidedown against that stupid hag that had captured him, you had been calm, patting his shoulders and promising it would be okay. That he was safe now. Like a child.

You always had the prettiest breathing rythm when you slept. It was always nervous and alert when you two went out, but you were incredible calm in your dreams, at least, for someone so ready for every attack that might come. Katuski had come to quite like being able to lay beside you, even when you still protested that he should have the bed alone. Guess you’ve gotten softer for him by now, trust building every day.

But this was bad, really bad.

All around him, it smelled like you. The cabin, the bed, the clothes he was wearing. It wouldn’t have surprised him if he smelled like you too. Truth be told, he had been ready to get home. He knew the city close to you and he knew how to get home from it, hoping he would find his pack in his territorry or maybe with his parents. Katuski hoped they bunch of idiots had been reasonable enough to reunite with what was closest to him, in hopes they could find him.

But how was he going to explain this smell? Everything about him smelled like you, and he got concerned whenever you two went out and he wasn’t able to smell you anymore. Sticky like honey, that’s how it felt, unable to seperate from him anymore. As if you had become one with him already.

Eyeing outside the little window above the bed, he could see the moon in full view. Soon enough, that damn, white ball of light would be complete again, giving him a new moon cycle to live out what he deep down was. A hunter, a wolf, a monster. Katsuki knew that if it came down to that, he wouldn’t be able to stay with you. How could a renowned knight like you ever accept someone like him, even if… Katsuki had long accepted you as his mate.

There weren’t many other explanations as to why it was so hard for him to separate from you. He had tried running away a few times already, not wanting to deal with staying with you longer than needed and getting more indepted to you. But by night, he had come back, and you had welcomed him even when he apologized only through gritted teeth. Why it made him crazy to not smell you and why he felt better smelling like you than smelling like blood and forest as werewolves usually do.

Those were only a handful things that showed him what this connection between you two really was. And he could deny it and curse the gods or whatever holy reigned over him, but undoubtedly, it was you. You were his mate, even if that made the neck hairs on both of your necks stand. The last thing Katsuki wanted was to be bound down by another spell, another inevitable strike of fate, but here he was, and his time to be angry about it run out with every second the moon revealed more of itself.

Latest by morning you would see it. His… form. You’d wake up next to a stinking mutt, only that this mutt wasn’t only technically bigger, but also ten times as dangerous as any street dog. And you’d jump for your swords, he’d slap them out of your hand and either maul you or devour you whole in his paniced instincts. So what could he do? Katsuki knew he should have just left, ran as far as he could and hoped he wouldn’t find back, but he found himself glued to the mattress, glued to the feeling of your back against your arm, you two having to sleep so close with how tiny the bed was.

And by your fucking scent.

So when had he decided that being with you like this was okay? That it was better to curse his existence than the rush of the hunt, the freedom of being a werewolf? Just because he wanted you in his life, was that worth it? Perhaps, because he was chained for so long, he had forgotten the taste of the other, so this was the only thing that felt good right now. But he wouldn’t know if he didn’t experienced going back to his better self.

Turning his head towards you, he watched you sleep peacefully while he was tormented by his thoughts. He knew that even if he tried to explain the situation, it wouldn’t go well, and it wasn’t like you could be with him while he roamed and pouched the forest. Maybe he was the next thing you’d set out to kill after he got too close to the village one day. But even worse so, he just couldn’t find it in himself to leave.

Overwhelmed with this feelings, Katuski found himself at a loss of what to do. Your scent would always lead him back to you, even when playing the role of the big bad wolf. In the end, with all the risks calculated, all he could do was hope that his other form could still recognize you, know not to hurt you. Then again, who knew what other things it wanted to do to you, besides shredding your body into pieces.

But it was his best bet. Not long from now, he’d be awaken, and this place wasn’t a good one to do that. Quietly, he slipped out, sharpened instincts helping navigate the dark and be quieter than a simple human like you could hear. It even helped him pick you up from your bed, wrapping a blanket helplessly around you before exciting the cabin, not bothering with closing the door.

If he couldn’t escape you, then you couldn’t escape him either. And if he had to make sure you both survived this, he had to get you away from there, shielding you from anything that stretched towards you two as he ran out of the forest, trying to find a cave, or a hideout for a while. Maybe he’d be able to explain it to you, maybe you two would be able to live alongside of each other if only you could understand him and his feelings.

Katsuki promised you quietly that he would be good to you, take care of your needs and provide for you in even the dire times. He could hunt, he could fight. He only lost his glory for a moment or two when he got captured. He’d lead his pack again, make them welcome you as his mate. Maybe build a family with you. Even if you two wouldn’t be able to see eye to eye at first, it would come eventually, the more time you two spent together.

Once you learned you could rely on him, your lives could weave themselves together easily, become one beautiful shared lifetime of joy. He was the greatest werewolf to live, he’d become it once again, to the point you’d look at him with awe in your face. And maybe, he would be able to learn to control himself, chaining you somewhere you couldn’t escape him, so he could learn patience even when he was blinded by his animalistic instincts. He just needed a chance to try this out.

And you needed a chance to see to which lengths he would go, just for you.

[twinkluffy]

fanfics for quarantine with α!katsuki x Ω!izuku.

Hiya, my fellows shippers. I know quarantine is being hard to everyone for different reasons but i hope you can stay safe at home. If you have to be outside for work or to work with/for people, thank you so much for your hard work and it is deeply appreciated. 

In this occasion it’s my pleasure to bring you all a fanfic recommendation list of Alpha/Omega KatsuDeku that i loved on AO3. So buckle up, gather everything you need for this wild ride because this gonna be a long post and this just the first part, sisters. Friendly reminder that every person writes their own rules for their omegaverse. It goes without saying that most of this post is+18 rated filth (and i did let out some nasty things that would make most of you don’t hold a face to face conversation with me without kinkshaming me) but even with that the sexual content is gonna have a bolded +18 beside the tittle; and as the old saying goes: read the damn tags on the fic, they are there for a reason.  

The links, rating, state and summary under the cut. Please, feel free to reblog and like or to come to my dms just to talk or ask for a type of fic in specific. I’ll post part 2 of this soon. 

drag me to the deeps of your heart (+18)  by halcyonwhispers [one shot, 5945 words // 1/2 from “The (im)proper way to an Alpha-Omega courtship” series ] 

Everyone presents on their 17th birthday, and while Katsuki has already (alpha, big fuckin’ shocker), he awaits his boyfriend’s presentation to finally get over the nonexistent (slight) curiosity over Izuku’s new rank. He can’t be an alpha, not crybaby, overthinking Deku. Anyways, both his parents are betas, and all that genetic and biology shit says Deku’s bound for that road. (he thinks)

Gravity (+18) by warschach [complete, 71477 words, 10 chapters]

Izuku is back in his hometown and plenty hasn't changed much from the 8 years he was gone. Except, Katsuki Bakugou, the alpha king of their small town. He's hotter- because that's fair, right, God? -, stronger, a now-famous pro fighter, and noticeably nicer this round. Not that he cares, pfft.

Ha, Izuku Midoriya caring about Katsuki Bakugou, thinking he's pretty cute and not half bad once you get past the asshole persona; though that gargantuan ego of his could take a dive off a very tall cliff. (Fine, he cares.)

what’s mine is mine (+18) by xenodickery [one shot, 5504 words // 1/3 from the “what’s mine is mine” series. Implied r*pe not related to the pair]

Bakugou watched, fists shaking in his lap, as someone pried open Midoriya's mouth and placed the pink tab on his tongue. An aphrodisiac. At least that's what they'd called it. A heat compellant.

Marshmallow by choimarie  [one shot, 3359 words // part of the 2k18 bakudeku week]

“Yo! Look at what we have here!” A voice said loudly and Izuku's heart stopped.

He turned around, his eyes widening. A group of six alphas was walking his way towards him.

What’s is this? The beginning of a porn0? (+18) by JijiHadidnt [2 chapters, 4625 words]

“Did somebody order a pizza?”

“What is this? The beginning of a porno?”

“Shut up Nerd just let me in.”

Izuku and Bakugou handle their argument over celebrity crushes in an interesting way.

A nest for the best by Camellia_Sinensis [one shot, 1007 words // Part of the “dorks in love” series] 

Deku’s been nesting and asking everyone in 1-A for pieces of clothing for his horde. Everyone, that is, except Katsuki. Cue the jealousy.

where i feel you the most (+18) by shousanki [one shot,3899 words]

In which Katsuki comes 1) to terms with Izuku's screwy biology almost as unpredictable as the person himself, and 2) down Izuku's warm and willing throat.

the last dragon-blood king (+18) by claimedbydaryl [complete, 13 chapters, 107.009 words]

Katsuki Bakugou was the alpha heir to a forgotten throne, reigning lord and warden of the Fyre Isles, a famed warrior of vicious repute in the Western Seas, and he would be wed to Izuku Midoriya by the day’s end.

Project: heat (+18) by ellslane  [one shot, 2914 words]

Katsuki can do this. He can control himself around Deku, who’s scent has spiked in sweetness and is dripping in pheromones. He can maintain his composure as they work together on a school project. He can keep himself in check as his stupid smell wafts through the air, and directly into his nose.

He can’t do this.

Dessert before dinner (+18) by Morpheel [one shot, 3473 words] 

Ground Zero has his work cut out for him as of late.

Between his increased Hero workload, and a pregnant mate at home, there's very little time to slow down and "smell the roses", as they say. He's too busy fighting the rampant crime rate going wild throughout the city without their Pillar of Justice on duty for 9 months. Yet leave it up to Izuku to find his own way in squirming some quality time in before Katsuki's shift.

Emergency contact (+18) by SurelyHeavenWaits [one shot, 3753 words]

There are some things in life that a person would like to know in advance:

weather forecasts, patrol schedules, patrol routes, being listed as an ERC for the person they've secretly loved for most of their life. Pro Hero Deku knew three of these things at the start of his shift.

Blonde haired bunnies (+18) by morpheel [one shot, 5194 words]

In an attempt to create a new genetic pattern in the Rabbit-Hybrid Gene, Izuku Midorya is paired with a very strange (and almost unorthodox) stud. The end goal is blonde haired, red eyed rabbits- though only one Alpha truly fits that bill.

Surely a wolf and a rabbit can't breed?

Late mornings (+18) by Oilux [one shot, words]

When Deku arrives, late for class, panting, red stained cheeks, every alpha in the class staring at him with open want, Bakugo only has one thought crossing his mind.

He’s mine.

Vitality in postpartum (+18) by ellslane [one shot,2989 words]

Katsuki can tell his husband has been dealing with his image after giving birth to their precious boy, and he's hellbent on making Izuku see the perfection he sees. Happy husband, happy life, after all.

Box (+18) by SurelyHeavenWaits [one shot, 3028 words]

On a stakeout for a villain with what's been reported as a lust-inducing Quirk, Pro Heroes Ground Zero and Deku find themselves boxed into a dire situation.

I’m so glad i found my mate today by kittiegirl1616 [oneshot, 2123 words]

Pro-Hero Ground Zero has captured a villain when he senses his mate is nearby.

whatever you’ve done, just bury (+18) it by ikvros [complete, 3 chapters, 18.593 words]

He knows how Katsuki thinks, talks, and fights. He knows how he sleeps, how he eats, how he loves, and how he leaves. And he knows what knows what it means for Katsuki to come back; has washed the evidence from the sheets countless times, scrubbed the scent of him off his skin in the morning until it’s as red and raw as his heart.

Their home (+18) by Veradiciy [one shot, 2694 words] 

There was nothing wrong with parking the car inside their garage. Nothing wrong with turning off the ignition and locking the car while still inside. Not even when the sensory light of the garage had went out a minute later to leave darkness at its wake. Having sex comes naturally between a mated couple like Bakugou and Midoriya in the late night during the start of Midoriya's heat.

Please scent me by fleurown [one shot, words]

In which Deku needs a quick favor at a party and Katsuki can't deny such a cute face.

eternity by PepeermintLeo [one shot, 9.724 words]

Izuku was Kacchan’s partner, in every sense of the word. He ruled right next to Kacchan’s side, an alpha and an omega, leading Kacchan’s tribe against all sorts of odds. As well as his romantic partner, steady and solid by his side but giving when emotions called for it.

Uncertainty by SuperiorDragonLord [one shot, 5129 words]  

Izuku was getting worried. After a particularly rough rescue mission, Katsuki had yet to even have a full conversation with him. Tensions are running high and Izuku is starting to get tired of walking around on eggshells. When he finally decides to confront Katsuki about it things take a direction he hadn't been prepared for.

Devil in me (+18) by glamour_weebs [oneshot, 1699 words]

Katsuki's usually the one getting into fights over Deku when they go to the club, but this time, his Omega's the one that starts a fight over him, but he doesn't stop there. Deku's determined to mark his territory.

if you can’t find the moning light, i’m here tonight by yabakuboi [oneshot, 3488 words]

Katsuki was never sure what happened to his childhood friend, quirkless Izuku who had presented as an omega and was whisked away to a traditional matchmaking house. Katsuki never saw him again after that, and tried to convince himself it was for the best. Many lonely years pass before he finds Izuku in the last place he ever wanted to, in the middle of a battlefield with a child clutching to his shirt.

Earned it (+18)by Morpheel [one shot, 6038 words]

Because within the illumination of lantern light stood a brothel’s worth of Omegas, all in various states of disarray, giggling and washing themselves without a care in the world to the army in their path.

Bakugou’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Say it again by susurrxus [one shot, 7153 words // Part of the (incomplete) “Mina Ashido approve of this ship” series] 

Katsuki discoveres he doesnt quite oppose to being called Daddy... nor does he oppose to abusing his Omega until he's a sobbing whore on the teachers desk.

[thelawyerthatwaspromised]

But What Does Cersei Want? [some spoiler content]

I have some tinfoil-y finale season speculation based on SOME unconfirmed spoilers but I’ll tag spoilers anyway...but the gist of this is:

What does Cersei want and why might that matter immensely?

Ok here’s the summary before I get to every detail...because I doubt every detail comes to fruition exactly anyway. The overall idea is more important.

I think Cersei will cooperate with Tyrion in a kidnapping plot against Sansa to 1) secure the North through marriage between Sansa and Tyrion; and 2) secure Cersei’s claim to the Throne through a forced marriage between herself and Jon.

Admittedly that’s kinda wild. Here’s a rundown on why I think this could really actually happen. Some of this is based on spoiler content, MUCH on the foreshadowing in the series:

1) Cersei has a loose grip on power;

2) Cersei wants to fulfill Tywin’s mission of a Lannister dynasty;

3) Tyrion wants power and a stable position of power;

4) The Sansa/Tyrion marriage was referenced in a strange way;

5) Tyrion is on the outs with Daenerys so his influence is waning;

6) RLJ super duper matters;

7) There’s a [LEAK ALERT] rumor that Bronn has been sent to kill Tyrion;

8) There have been rumors for more than a year of a Sansa kidnapping;

9) There’s a strong rumor of Tyrion on trial in one of the last episodes;

10) There’s the Tyrion “love triangle” from the OG outline;

11) It explicitly places Sansa as the YMBQ

Ok I have to stop. There are so many reasons. Here’s what I think happens (Any part of this based on a spoiler is marked [SPOILER] because it’s just not yet determined to be true or not but it fits with the theory so well):

Dany’s Fragmented Alliance

Just how badly things go for Dany in the North is yet to be determined however the early outlook is, at best, cloudy with a chance of meatballs. We already have seen her relationship with Tyrion deteriorate to the point where one of the most common predictions is that Tyrion will almost certainly betray Dany in some way. 

This isn’t unique to the Dany/Tyrion dynamic, though. Multiple parties are shown to be combative with Dany early in the season according to [SPOILERS]. Assuming that there’s fragmented relations between Tyrion and Dany, it’s highly plausible that Tyrion will see his position of authority severely hampered by the darneded Northern Fool Jon Snow.

Tyrion maybe looking for greener pastures.

Meanwhile Back at Cersei Headquarters

[SPOILERS] It’s rumored that Bronn is sent by Cersei to kill both Tyrion and Jaime. Pretty much makes sense. Plausible enough that I have no real reason to doubt that it very much could be true. In fact it would be kind of weird if Cersei WEREN’T trying to do this.

Assume, also, that Cersei is very interested in a face to face meeting with Sansa Stark...whom she still believes had a part in killing Joffrey. There’s a revenge factor for Cersei when it comes to Sansa that just really isn’t there for for anyone other than Tyrion and MAYBE Jaime.

Cersei may want Tyrion dead and Sansa brought back to her or dead as well.

The “Twist”

Assuming Bronn is sent to kill Tyrion and successfully infiltrates wherever Tyrion happens to be located...what do you think Tyrion would do?

Bargain. Plead. Negotiate.

It’s what he does. It’s what he always does. Think back to how Bronn came into his service in the first place. Think back to how Tyrion acquired the Hill Tribesmen when they wanted to kill Tyrion. He always has a plan (based on his name) to get himself out of trouble. 

Even if his show counterpart is more angelic than his book version, this is something that’s consistent with the portrayal of Tyrion. He doesn’t use a sword, he uses his mind.

So how can Tyrion talk Bronn out of killing him when refusal could have big consequences for Bronn? By dangling something that would improve Bronn’s station AND something that Cersei would very likely be interested: control of the North. Through Sansa. His “wife”.

Tyrion reasons with Bronn. “Don’t kill me. Because I can make your situation much better. How would you like to be the man to offer Cersei something she covets: the North.”

The Logistics

Tyrion will have been up there at least long enough to see Sansa’s importance. She’s always been referred to as the “key to the North”, after all. But now he gets to see her really proving it. The Lords of the North showed quite a bit of loyalty to Sansa in S7 so the audience already has knowledge of their faith in the Lady of Winterfell. Tyrion sees this and might recall to himself the fact that his marriage to Sansa wasn’t ever quite “resolved”. In fact, her marital status has been quite the subject of conversation from multiple parties the last few seasons. So this fits her storyline pretty logically.

So Tyrion, facing the prospects of death, offers Bronn a plan to take Sansa and himself back to Cersei. Tyrion gets to stay alive and keep his head. Bronn gets to deliver two traitors “to Cersei’s door” (ala the Dragonpit entry conversation). 

Tyrion gets a twisted revenge on Catelyn Stark for his kidnapping/arrest in Season 1 at the Inn at the Crossroads. Tyrion has something to offer Cersei: spare my life, renew my marriage with Sansa, you will gain the North.

Bam.

Is that it? No...there’s more.

R+L=J

So who here thinks RLJ is kept secret from the world for S8? Those few of you in the back can see yourselves out. The new is going to spread. And I think Tyrion will know it.

So imagine. You’re Tyrion. You have this great proposal for Cersei that would keep you alive because it would benefit Cersei (which is the only reason Cersei would do anything). You’re in a good situation now. You also have another bit of info that would probably interest the current Queen of Westeros: the beloved half-brother-turned-cousin of Sansa Stark is ACTUALLY the heir to Rhaegar Targaryen...none other than Jon Snow.

Now flip to Cersei’s perspective. Cersei wants power and longevity. She wants to have a Tywin-like impact. She has Tyrion and Sansa to secure the North. What other leverage could she gain? Control of the line of succession for herself. She could get Jon Snow.

If we assume Jon very much cares for Sansa...we have a scenario where Cersei can threaten something very dear to Jon’s heart unless he cooperates. Jon becomes a target to Dany (because his claim exceeds hers) and an object of desire for Cersei (because Cersei’s claim is strengthened by ‘acquiring’ Jon’s AND she could be in possession of Sansa - a very good reason for Jon to comply).

So Cersei tosses this proposal at Jon:

- Lay down your arms - Accept Tyrion’s marriage to Sansa - Accept me as your Queen and marry me;

- or-

- I will kill Sansa.

Now, THAT is leverage. It would guarantee a mini-Lannister dynasty. It would cause the North, the Vale, and very likely the Riverlands to yield.

Why wouldn’t they just toss Sansa aside and allow maybe Arya or Bran to takeover once again? BECAUSE THE STARKS ARE A PACK.

None of Jon, Arya, or Bran would ever allow for Sansa to be disregarded. It goes against the whole narrative of the family. It goes against Robb’s response to Ned’s imprisonment and execution. It goes against Jon and Sansa’s mission to reclaim Winterfell and their unsuccessful effort to save Rickon.

The Lone Wolf Dies But the Pack Survives.

Except it’s used against them here...for a time. 

What Does This Look Like in the End?

Full disclosure, I don’t have it worked out exactly how they overcome this very tough situation. Maybe I’ll add a part two before the season starts. But I think this has a very strong possibility of happening.

Here’s what I think would eventually happen:

1) Jon and his allies foil the plan;

2) Jon and Sansa rule Westeros;

3) Tyrion is put on trial for his role

4) KL ends up getting blown up by Dany so they don’t even rule from KL in the end

But Why Does This Work Symbolically?

There are SO many plot threads this ties together:

1) Tywin held a grudge for Aerys’ refusal to accept his idea for a Cersei/Rhaegar betrothal;

2) Tyrion is a villain in the OG outline and involved in a deadly feud with Jon over his Stark sister-turned-not sister;

3) Sansa would actually BE the YMBQ if a temporary betrothal to Cersei were accepted by Jon only to be foiled later and result in a Jon/Sansa marriage;

4) Tyrion offered Bronn lands and titles in the North before his trial by combat but Bronn turned it down because Tyrion didn’t know where Sansa was;

5) Jon riding to KL to stop Sansa from being married to a Lannister would show him saving her from a marriage in a way that Robb was unable to do for Sansa;

6) Jon going with a plan would show him learning from the mistakes of his REAL father and brother;

7) It fits Tyrion wanting the North and having a reasonable-ish reason for staking his claim to the North (”Cersei would have killed us both otherwise!”) but finally paying for all he’s done........like murdering Shae in cold blood.

8) It illustrates the importance of Sansa as the Key to the North.

9) Sansa in the books always longed for her hero to ride to save her from the tower. Here she’s grown and become wiser and yet women in Westeros really STILL are vulnerable...and Sansa would get to learn first hand that someone does exist who will put her first and do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

I could go into the million reasons why this works with regard to the dynamics between Jon and Daenerys but I feel like I need to get the basis of this theory out first and then maybe I can expand upon it. 

Honestly, I got so excited about the possibilities of this theory that my first post hear is probably sloppy and a little disjointed, and in dire need of refinement but I had to get it out there.

Don’t be surprised if I come out with additions in the near future.

[ofindcmitability]

That’s William Halliwell nee Flynn. He’s 18 years old and a Darklighter-Demon.  He may be +Adaptable, +Perceptive, & +Loyal but he’s also -Brash, -Hotheaded & -Distrustful.

HISTORY

[ find william’s full history prior to apx h e r e ].

condensed version: 

he was raised in the underworld as an assassin, with his father making sure he stay disconnected from all emotion. due to his lack of ability to understand the capacity of his actions, since the young age of five william ( XION, then ) killed anyone his father ordered him too. his father, jack, had plans for the world in which they lived. to amass an army, and for his child to be his sword. ( thus, the name xion, the name of a weapon ). 

he was nine years old when the routine of doing what his father wanted came to an END. his enemy cried and begged for their life. for the first time, xion felt the weight of a life in his hand’s. he confided in his mother ( luciana, a woman who had been bartered to jack by her own demon father ) and she, finally unable to take his father’s treatment, made plans for their escape. unbeknownst to xion, he had an older half brother from his mother’s side who would have accompanied them. that is, if their plans hadn’t been foiled. 

jack took luciana away, locked xion up, and scarred the young, now defiant, boy. he discarded the name xion, and spent the next three years trying to escape his father to no avail. leading to years of torture and punishment. finally his grandfather, his mother’s father, came back into the boy’s life. offering a chance to see her for the trade of his father’s murder. he was quick to agree. he found his mother in an aslym, scarred in different ways then himself but scarred nonetheless. she was happy to see him, until she was murdered, that is. an elder barged in, in his rage the boy was reckless. he wound up scarred once again, and kidnapped by the elder. 

he was locked up within magic school, while the elders trying to figure out what to do with the gremlin hybrid monster who snarled and shouted obscenities. there there was wyatt halliwell. who took one look at the young man and decided he wasn’t going to be dying. rather, wyatt took him in. prompting the young nameless man to create a name of his own. that name became william flynn. the acclamation wasn’t an easy one, not at all. however life with wyatt, life with a father figured who LOVED him became a new world for him. william was enrolled within magic school. he never fully fit in, not with the preppies, not with the goths, not with the gangbangers, not with anyone. he was a lone wolf because he didn’t know what else to be. wyatt was the only one in the world who accepted him, and william doubted that was something that would change. 

APX EVENTS:

so fun fact. things did change. along with the people in it. 

the change began in the form of a girl named lizzie saltzman. he was fiddling with a toy that made annoying sounds she wasn’t fond of. they talked and for the first time in his whole life, william felt interest, fondness. he was KEEN in getting to know the blonde girl who was undoubtedly one of a kind. the two met again, traded numbers, traded jabs and flirts. it was fun for them both, a spark to light up a whole home. however as she confessed to him her species a siphoner, will realized something vital. he happened to be a mass murderer, former assassin, with kills over his belt extending past three digits. just because he wans’t that person anymore, didn’t mean lizzie shouldn’t know what she was talking into. he refused for a date until she knew more. then, she did. lizzie was a smart girl, she did her research. the two met at a library, ready to END IT ( before it even begun ). only for henchman of his father to attack. an altercation occurred, with the ultimate result of will sacrificing himself in order ot ensure lizzie’s protection. with the help of claudia ( see below for more info her involvement in will’s life ), they rescued him. will had been tortured for weeks, trying to reign him into submission. he had begged lizzie to let him go. she hadn’t listened. while he took to the mend, they spoke. they discussed. and their feelings were far too deep to let each other GO. it was beyond chemistry now, they were bonded together in ways they hadn’t with any other. eventually the two went on their first date ( five guys ), they had their first kiss ( yes, there were fireworks between them ), among other things. they were a normal, healthy couple. at least until an incident occurred. lizzie’s life was put in jeapordy, and she confessed to him her dire situation of the merge. so, will proposed. it was a no brianer to him. if lizzie only had a few years left, a life sentence, if they didn’t find a way out of it--- he wanted to spend every moment with her. she accepted, and they are officially ENGAGED. however, they made the decision to postpone the wedding itself for years to come. give them time to find a solution, and not to worry too much about it itself. 

after his initial meeting with lizzie saltzman, it was claudia davenport who began the next bout of changes in will’s life by giving him a SISTER. half sister, but sister nonetheless. she was a solider of jack’s, like him but also DIFFERENT. the two spoke, and he was wary to put trust within her. worried, that she was truly on jack’s side. this all changed when claudia risked her very own self to save him along with lizzie saltzman ( see above ) to save him from their father’s clutches. she put that effort through, and in doing so gained will’s everlasting trust. he’d do most anything for his big sister, lives her completely. despite her strange choice in ‘companions’.

speaking of, harlow valentine. in will’s eyes, a lacky of jack’s, also in love with claudia. will isn’t fond of her, but he doesn’t necessarily hate her. their first meeting involved a knife to his throat and the course was set for them. it was later days he attempted to save her from a kidnapping only to get kidnapped himself by a group of ratical hunters. the two, together, managed to make it out. with harlow killing the hunters against will’s wishes. their relationship only further negatively impacted when harlow threw lizzie under the bus for saving will. right now, will has a mixed opinion on the woman. she can’t be completely horrible if claudia loves her, and yet---

the next radical change to his life was somehow getting a best friend in the form of landon kirby. inspired by lizzie, will tried to be more social. this resulted in him meeting landon kirby. the guy was a bit nerdy, but later will found out he was too. there was no life changing situation that thrust them together, but rather, much like lizzie and himself--- will and landon clicked. they hung out together, had fun, built an ease of a relationship. so much so, that will confessed to landon his past on his own accord. and landon, he accepted will without hesitation. the two are always there for each other, and have each other’s backs. 

on the front of wyatt halliwell. things with wyatt never faltered, never could. wyatt is one of the only people to have will’s explicit trust. the first person ever, actually. their affection and love for each other was never something that was tested or struggled with. in fact, it was only something that grew with wyatt’s proposal to officially adopt will and make him into a halliwell. give him a name that connected him with others, that connected he and wyatt on a deeper level. it didn’t make too much difference beyond the name, but it was still something will was grateful for. 

he is now william halliwell, engaged to lizzie saltman & couldn’t be happier. 

CONNECTIONS:

lizzie saltzman - @geminislegacy​: crush, first kiss, girlfriend, fiance

wyatt halliwell - @nocttrls​: his wyatt figure, adopted dad

landon kirby - @frcmashes: one-night stand, best friend

clauda davenport - @hardts: paternal half-sister

harlow valentine - @deathlyharlows: enemy

nicole alfaro - @ofsorrxws: paternal half-sister

julian valentino - @vclentino:  maternal half-brother

arlo park - @pcthstrayed: paternal half-brother

NOTES / FUN FACTS:

for the longest time, william’s only goal had been to murder his father. that has changed in frequent time, however, if ever given the opportunity it wouldn’t be as easy he dreamed it. in fact, he’d probably struggle with killing jack due to the man being the single constant within his life and having such a power over him, even now. 

meta on william halliwell & emotion.

tba. 

[gascon-en-exil]

Joining the Game Late: S7E2 “Stormborn”

Synopsis

Dany gets the belated measure of Varys, then her plot converges with Melisandre’s and Jon Snow’s and there’s a translation quirk. Sansa is opposed to Jon meeting Dany, as are the rest of the Northerners, but he goes anyway and leaves Sansa in charge. Cersei networks and Jaime helps, now with xenophobia. Jorah gets his prognosis, but Sam won’t be deterred from performing an unsanctioned operation. Qyburn’s mad scientist powers have now conjured up anti-dragon artillery...boring, but practical. Dany realizes her councilors come from half a dozen different plots, and Olenna encourages recklessness over Tyrion’s strategic strike. Grey Worm/Missandei happens with cunnilingus because that’s about all they can do. Foreshadowing that this is going to be/already is (a) book(s). A frequently recurring minor character shows up at a frequently recurring inn to tell Arya about the Battle of the Bastards, and she briefly reunites with Nymeria on the way north. Jon threatens Littlefinger - he gets that a lot. The two Iron Fleets battle at sea, two of the Sand Snakes are murdered with their own weapons in a typical display of their competence, and Theon gets triggered and jumps overboard leaving Ellaria and his sister to be captured by Euron.

Commentary

Credit to the Sand Snakes: they successfully establish Euron as a real threat when he kills two of them and takes their mother captive, which is arguably more than they’ve ever done for the narrative since they were introduced. 

Honestly the sea battle that this episode closes on works so well in large part due to the characters involved - not necessarily that all of them are well-developed or even good, but that by smashing together around a third of the living cast under Daenerys and seeing how they interact with one another in a short space of time really underscores just how big GoT grew over the years. We’ve got Daenerys taking Varys to task for changing sides multiple times, Olenna counseling open war over the more pragmatic advice of Tyrion, Ellaria and Yara flirting, Dany sparingly using her Essosi troops so as not to play into the prejudices of the Westerosi nobles (which Cersei and Jaime make use of), Missandei helping Melisandre reinterpret her long-held prophecy in Dany’s favor, and finally the anticipation of a meeting between what are more or less the show’s two biggest protagonists. It’s as messy and inelegant as it should be, and reminds me in a way of the approach Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn took in contrast to the game that preceded it: eschewing opportunities for intimate character moments and interactions between disparate members of the army in favor of more sweeping narrative maneuvers intended to tell a much bigger story in approximately the same timeframe and with the same storytelling restrictions. There are of course drawbacks to this approach, but if GoT’s going to end on a continental war this is probably the best change it could have made.

There are some quieter scenes too - support conversation equivalents, to continue the FE analogy - but this time they’re reserved for characters who are at present removed from the central thrust of the upcoming war. Missandei and Grey Worm finding a way to consummate their relationship, for example, or Sam taking it upon himself to try to cure Jorah’s greyscale (which...eww. Is every episode with scenes in the Citadel going to include such visceral nastiness?) are good for breaking up all the discussions of large scale conflicts. It’s Arya who really takes the prize in this regard however, when she turns northward to Winterfell after yet another encounter with Hot Pie and a brief meeting with Nymeria whom she hasn’t seen since the second episode. I wasn’t expecting Nymeria to run away from Arya, limits of the CGI dire wolf budget aside, but perhaps there’s a message there about how Arya’s character growth has taken her so far from where she was when she defended the butcher’s boy from Joffrey that she’s no longer a Stark, or no longer only a Stark. Time will tell, of course.

Also, did Sam’s brother Dickon get a new actor? I think he did. Not that it matters much, with him and his father not leaving much of an impression at the Red Keep except to declare that House Tarly is loyal and straightforward and isn’t constantly scheming for its own advancement. So, uh, hot-blooded Gascon stereotypes then? I might know a thing or two about those.

[kurtty-drabbles]

Excalibur au (part 8)

N/A: Amanda is dumb and wants a new dog.

@djinmer4 @dannybagpipesarecalling @sailorstar9 @discordsworld @look-ma-no-hands336

Amanda Szardos is not pleased. The mage is calling Kurt on her phone and is not being answered immediately like it used to be, to the point, Amanda result in using a magic contact to speak with Kurt, yet, it only serves to show how Kurt is really ignoring her. “Stupid, mutt, ok, if you´re being difficult I´ll use other ways” Amanda mutters.

Kurt was her dog, her slave and it only requires a good brainwash and kind words(and sex a la gaslight) and Kurt should drop anything to do her bidding. Lately, Kurt is not entering in contact with her and Amanda can see that maybe someone get his undivided attention. “Oh, mother, he was a useless dog anyway, his demonic blood may be useful, but, now…he has no need to live” Amanda speaks looking at the wand her beloved mother give to her. “But rest assured, mom, I´ll find a better dog” Amanda promised.

And using her crystal ball she spots Piotr aka Colossus. The image shows a past battle, Piotr in his metal form is breaking the spine of many enemies in defense of his little sister, even though said little sister is Magik and she got a bigger pile of defeated foes, still, is impressive to see him fighting and Amanda can smile satisfied as she has a new dog in mind.

And if she plays her cards right, the great Magik will bow to her, after all, Yana adores her big brother and will do anything he says(if Kurt continues like that, he used to be a competent dog) and those are her thoughts.

“You´re right, mom” Amanda feels chastised “I can´t go there without a plan, he does know me and the X-men, for some reason, are protective of the dog…yes, you´re right, I´ll use a glamour and they won´t notice, yes, I know...I´ll get the soulsword, it belongs to us” Amanda promised and then she gives a longing kiss on Stefan´s photo, her beloved brother, her lover, needed to be sacrificed in order to manipulated Kurt. “Don´t worry, my love, it will be all worth in the end”

Piotr was tending the garden when a red hair shows up and smiles at him, there´s something familiar in that woman that makes Piotr uneasy. “Hi, you´re Piotr? I was thinking if we could chat” Amanda smiles pleased as the Russian, while unsure, ended up agreeing with the offer.

Kurt will complete one month of therapy and he can say he does feel a bit better, there´s no magical cure for his problem and it is a struggle, but, Kurt believes he can be better(Kitty said that and increase his belief) so is all worth in the end.

He can admit, at least to himself, he´s happy Pete is out of the picture; yet, Kurt is not going to flirt with Kitty now as the woman is dealing with the fallout. The Doctor´s good advice ring into his mind (“Sometimes, even bad relationships, need time to be mourned”) and Kurt can do that, Kitty does not need flirtation, she needs support and Kurt can give that.

Kitty is resting her head on his shoulder as Kurt is flicking the TV channels absently of anything else, Rachel is talking on the phone loudly(a telepath never saw the need for telephone until she has to use one) and Brian and Meggan are drinking tea and sharing stories of their childhood. Rhane and Doug are talking about their mutations and how they got it in the worst ways possible (“I turned into a wolf in my own birthday party” “I start talking Latin for a week and no one noticed until a guy was sure I called him a bad name”)

Until, of course, the peace is broken by Colossus who broke the wall and is screaming in Russian, and Doug is happy to translate his screaming (“I want to kill you all for my mistress” “Really?!” “Yes, that´s what he said”) and this prompts Rachel to call her phone down(“Dad, a dumb monster shows up, is Colossus…he must being controlled by someone else, ok, we talk more tomorrow, say hi to mom to me”)

Kurt and Kitty are ready to face Colussus as the man keep repeating the same line that Doug translate (“I´ll kill you for my mistress”) and Kurt has a dread feeling on his stomach about the identity of this mistress, he wanted to be wrong so much, however, fate is not as kind as Kurt would like as Amanda shows up smiling devious and order Piotr to kill Kurt.

“How dare you, dog? How dare you to ignore the great Amanda?” Amanda speaks in her usual fashion and Kurt steps back, he knew she must think poorly of him, but, hear the words so freely still hurt(his mind goes to that innocence he loved so much, that idyllic childhood where everything seems so perfect, he remembers Stefan and Amanda calling him their little brother and that was the best time of his life)

Kitty takes out her soulsword and has no problem in the attack first, Piotr is as heavy as he looks, yet, Rachel and Meggan and Brian are more than enough to face off the giant. Kurt does not want to be useless, so, he helps the team as Piotr manages to knock down Brian and Meggan, Kurt for all moments, goes to help Brian first.

Rachel is using her powers to stop the Russian, an idea comes to Kurt. “Rachel? Tries to talk with his mind, maybe he can break off her spell” Kurt suggested and Rachel tired to contact Piotr, and, the man´s mind is a downright mess. It takes a few minutes(hours for a telepath as good as Rachel) to finally contact Piotr.

Kitty didn´t let Amanda cast any spell as her soul sword cut all of her powers and Amanda is using Piotr as a shield, saying if Rachel doesn´t stop she´ll explode the man. Sadly for her, Kitty can know when a desperate person is bluffing and Amanda is clearly desperate here.

Piotr opens his eyes one, two and three times until he finally understands what is going on. Now, Amanda has no protection and Piotr does not take kindly in being used. Amanda is corned and Kitty and Rachel have no qualms in killing.

Brian, for once, is not going to intervene and Meggan look one time for Kurt as he does not show compassion for Amanda, but, she can sense how he´s relief he´s not the one who´ll kill her.

Kitty opens a portal to Limbo, not before Rachel, using her powers, give a taste of her own remedy to Amanda. Amanda can say that being controlled is not as fun as being the one in control. Amanda is no longer in control of her body and Kitty is sending a lovely(or not) present to Belasco. Fresh meat to the dire wrath.

“She won´t return ever again, not, even her soul will be spared” Kitty announced and Kurt is shaking as he´s drying his tears. “She won´t come back? Are you sure?” Kitty then nods gently still with her sword. “Is over elf, she won´t hurt you or anyone else ever again” and Kitty hugs the elf as his tail wrapped around her waist (and still there) and cry freely, Amanda is gone and Kurt is happy but mourning that childhood he loved so much.

[lightningflash55]

I picked these numbers totally random I have no idea what the questions are. 8, 12, 25, 33, 49, 59, 61, 74, 80, 93

@tododorkies​ Aaaaaa shoot, I totally spaced this out. (These are answers for my bnha oc, Kumo, from this list if anyone is wondering)

8. What are their good and bad traits?

A few of her good traits would be that she’s very open/understanding, she’s super loyal to her friends and family, and she’s good at catching details others might miss, which provides useful insight during hero work. On the negative side, she often lacks confidence in her abilities and also has poor spending habits (aka she buys snacks/drinks so often it’s ridiculous)  

12. Can they do magic?

No, but I guess quirks are in the same vein? Hers is cloud manipulation! 

25. What type of high schooler are/were they?

I’m not sure she fits one typical category like jock/nerd/etc lol. She tends to be quiet and reserved during normal class (she’s the type to get distracted and end up gazing out the window LOL). She definitely prefers active classes and would probably be on the track team? She’s pretty average grade-wise, but she does try to do her best. And I guess she’s on the introverted side but around her friends she opens up really easily! (Asfhdsjkf I feel like this is sort of a lame answer but idk what else to say)

33. Did they ever dye their hair before? If so, to what colour? Did they like it?

She’s never dyed it, nor could I imagine her dyeing it any time soon. She likes her natural blue!

49. If they could have an extinct animal for a pet, what would they have?

Mmmm i’m gonna go with a dire wolf just cause dire wolf = big dog. She’s a dog person and I think she’d have a Samoyed when she could get one cause they look like fluffy clouds :3

59. What is their favourite song?

Aaaa her music taste has been one of the hardest things for me to place so far. I’m still working on it and wanna make a playlist but for now I could see her listening to lighter rock/pop songs?? Plus some kpop and also ambient music when she’s just chilling/doing homework (I also hc she listens to rain/storm tracks while studying). 

If I was forced to pick a song from my own music it’d probably be Acid Rain by Avenged Sevenfold or Demons/Warriors by Imagine Dragons

61. What is their favourite book?

I’m not gonna pick a specific one but she’d prefer action/adventure stories. She also reads meteorology books for fun cause she’s a nerd LOL.

74. Who is one person that can always make them laugh?

She gets along really well with her little sister and they’re 100% guaranteed to laugh whenever they’re together. They joke around a lot and her sister’s pretty full of spunk (she can be more than a handful sometimes). 

80. Do they like other people’s children?

She does! There’s a big age gap between Kumo and her little sis so she’s had a lot of experience helping out with her. She’s really good with kids and loves to entertain them (Though i’d say ideal age would definitely be 3+ over babies).

93. What are they like as an adult?

I don’t think she necessarily changes much, other than maturing and growing in her experiences. She does become a pro hero!! She gets to take after her mom and look cool kicking villain butt 😎 (i’m keeping this answer lame cause idk what to say srry)

[keepingup-withthetargaryens]

S7, E5: Eastwatch

More like Bae-fucking-watch. Am I right?

So Jaime is alive and not really very well, but thanks to Bronn, still breathing. I like that he still has the energy to insult Bronn for possibly killing him when, he was literally launching himself at a dragon. I’m really curious as to HOW Jaime and Bronn are somehow magically DOWN RIVER of all of the chaos, and unsure as to how that river is THAT DEEP. Westerosi magic.

Meanwhile, Dany is addressing everyone with Drogon looming over them. She tells them to bend the knee or die, and honestly doesn’t show herself to be much different than Cersei when she just verbalized that she is. But, then again, Cersei didn’t give the people in the Sept of Baelor a choice, did she? Details, details.

Tyrion tries to tell her to give them the option of a cell, and she doesn’t like the idea of slavery - she just freed a ton of people in Essos from that bond, and frankly, we don’t have time for that this season. We have bigger fish to fry. Like Dickon and Randyll Tarly, apparently.

Honestly, this was dumb. Fry Randyll, fine. But Dickon? I don’t like the dude, but I think he could have served more of a purpose if he wasn’t crispy. I really didn’t think she would kill both of them. But - luckily for us, we know that Sam is still alive and just inherited everything that House Tarly was, which he can now do since he’s no longer becoming a Maester - if he survives the war for the dawn. RIP Dicksa fandom (which I just learned about last night and now I feel like it’s ironic that it’s 100% put to rest).

The whole burning people alive thing is 100% a nod to her father, the Mad King, whom everyone compares her to, and she just took one step closer. But I don’t think she’ll remain on that path... D&D just like drama. And I don’t think she particularly enjoyed doing it, by the way she said Dracarys. It was merely a tool to sacrifice two to get the rest of the men on board.

Meanwhile, back in incest-ville, Jaime is SHOOK. Cersei’s like “it’ll be fine” and he’s like, “really? really? let me tell you how it all went down” and she still doesn’t really back down. To be continued.

Back on Dragonstone, Dany and Drogon have landed.

And Jon is conveniently waiting for them on a cliff like ye olde war wives.

Literally my face while watching this scene.

Idk about you, but if I saw a dragon land in front of me and show me its teeth, the first thing I’d do is be polite and take off my glove before touching it. Jon knows his manners.

How expensive was this? Very. But honestly as someone who has been WAITING for Jon to interact with a dragon for 10+ years, this was highly satisfying. Essentially the significance here is that while Dany can semi-control and interact with her dragons, they aren’t keen on letting anyone else do it. They didn’t even let Tyrion all that close to them, although they didn’t kill him either (and that’s an entire other can of worms with the Tyrion as a secret Targaryen theory and I’m not going into that right now) and Jon doesn’t even have any food for him, but Drogon seems perfectly content to let Jon touch him. Typically, only dragon riders, Targaryens, and people who had been around dragons for a LONG time could get this close to them in the books. So - take this with GREAT significance, and more to come once the episode moves along. Needless to say, Dany is also VERY interested in the fact that Drogon lets Jon do this.

Also, if you watch when she’s telling him that no matter how scary they are, they’re still her children, he’s literally heart-eyes-motherfucker staring straight at her before he catches himself and says “you weren’t gone long”.

Dany asks him about what Davos meant when he said Jon took a knife in his heart for his people, and he tells her that Davos often gets carried away - but he doesn’t get the chance to tell her because...

Guess who’s back with a brand new track?

J-J-J-Jorah the explorer! A.K.A. Ser Friendzone.

When she hugged him, all I could think about was that letter that he wrote her when he thought he was going to have to fall on his sword or be taken by greyscale and it was literally the sappiest love letter - and I know sappy love letters because I teach middle school (I know).

That is a HUG and Jon isn’t too excited about it, but Jon isn’t really excited about anything, ever.

The irony here is that Jon carries Jorah’s family sword, and Jon’s best friend rid Jorah of greyscale. One big happy family.

This face literally translates to “what are you doing here with my queen you broody hot asshole?” 

That’s so Raven/Raisin Bran gets a vision and tells everyone, via raven. Like, the entire country. Bran is the mobile CNN update of Westeros.

Annoying old dudes are annoying. Listen to Sam, you assholes.

Jon: babe, I gotta go Dany: so soon? You don’t have any men and I didn’t tell you that you could go Jon: I gotta go Jorah: I AM BIGGER AND STRONGER I WILL GO Everyone: *ignores Jorah* Tyrion: Hold on I have a clever plan, let’s show Cersei white walkers are real and then she won’t want to kill us all Everyone: she will always want to kill us all Tyrion: But maybe not right now - delay it a while Everyone: great plan Jorah: Does this mean I get to be an explorer Everyone *ignores Jorah*

So last time anyone tried to bring a Wight down south, they had that hand that was all rotted out by the time it got to King’s Landing. Also this was the point in the show when I realized the particular reddit spoilers I found were real and correct. Ugh. Like, I’m happy to have episode outlines but I’m also not?

Meanwhile, Bronn sets up a secret meeting, and Jaime is NOT HAPPY. 

Meanwhlie, Davos goes to find Gendry. “I thought you might still be rowing” - DAVOS IS ALL OF US since season 3

Here he is looking like a goddamn Christian Bale but better.

And he has a warhammer.

HELLO, reference to Robert, who fought with one, and killed Rhaegar with it.

“This is Gendry” “He’ll do”  OH HE WILL MORE THAN DO.

Cersei is pregnant with another incestuous child. Joy!

Moving on, I am such a stan for this moment because they are both so great. I like how they talk about how their fathers were friends and I’m just like oh but Ned wasn’t your father but go on being adorable together.

Jorah: bye babe Jorah: *sees Jon* Jorah: *marks his territory* Jon: bye, if I die you won’t have to worry about conquering my territory or me bending the knee Dany: but.... don’t..... go... 

Dany: *watches all baes sail away*

Okay. All jokes aside, THIS is one of the most important scenes GoT has ever shown us. To most people, who are NOT book readers, it was just Gilly talking about some guy who kept a too-detailed journal, and Sam getting fed up with all this shit. 

BUT.

Gilly asks Sam what an annulment is. Sam tells her it’s when a man sets aside his lawful wife and takes another. She says that a prince “Raggar” (Rhaegar) got an annulment and married another in a secret ceremony in Dorne.

HELLO.

OH my god I’m mentally screaming.

Rhaegar Targaryen. Dany’s brother. Jon’s father. He was married to Elia Martell of Dorne (Oberyn’s sister). She had two sons with him, but he knew that “the dragon has three heads” and he believed his children would fulfill an ancient prophecy. She couldn’t have any more children since she almost died having their second, and he got an annulment. From Elia. He MARRIED LYANNA STARK IN A SECRET CEREMONY IN DORNE. 

1) This shuts down the polygamist theories that have been floating around for years

2) If Jon’s parents were officially MARRIED at the time of his birth, he is NOT a bastard at all, but a legitimate Targaryen and the rightful heir to the throne of the seven kingdoms, as Rhaegar was crown prince, and it’s passed down through the male line. 

Like... WHAT. I. HAVE. BEEN. WAITING. YEARS. FOR. THIS. AND. YOU. CASUALLY. DROP. IT. IN. MY. FACE.

Rhaegar and Lyanna are literally my favorite thing about Game of Thrones. If we don’t get a flashback of them, I’m going to freak out. Although they supposedly cast this guy named Wilf as Rhaegar and I’m so much more down with Devin Oliver being Rhaegar but... oh well. I love the people of the internet for these anyway:

So, anyway, reference that back to Jon being so friendly with Drogon - bam. Targaryen blood. Blood of the dragon. Love it, this is amazing, I am living. Go, Targaryen baby, go.

Okay, another thing that needs explaining. Littlefinger is 100% trying to turn Arya and Sansa against each other. What we have to remember is that they DID NOT get along as children, and they haven’t seen each other in years. Yes, they are family, but their bond is not all that great. Arya is already mad at Sansa for not sticking up for Jon when the lords were talking shit about him.

So, remember how they said that Maeser Luwin kept copies of every Raven scroll that was sent to Winterfell? This is the copy of the scroll that Cersei forced Sansa to write back in Season 1, when they told her that her father was a traitor, and that she needed to write to Robb and tell him to swear fealty to Joffrey since Robert had died. If you remember, Cersei painted it so it looked like Ned tried to take the throne from Joffrey, when really, he was trying to figure out why his friend died so mysteriously.

Sansa did what she was told by Cersei, because at that time she was naive and still thought there was a chance she could be queen - and Ned hadn’t been executed yet so things didn’t seem as dire to her as they really were. 

Littlefinger knows that if Arya believes Sansa betrayed their family (and lied about what Ned was doing) it will split them apart, and she will become volatile and dangerous to Sansa - meaning Sansa will have to do something about it.

Honestly, I think this is just a piece of dumb drama, but they have been building up to this for a while. In the S7 trailer, Sansa says “the lone wolf dies, and the pack survives”. I still think Littlefinger is the lone wolf and he’s grasping at straws.

And, we end with the A-team going to find a wight to prove to Cersei that they exist. TBH, when I read this in the reddit spoilers, I was like “what a dumb idea!” but here we are. So, good luck, boys.

Until next week.

P.S. - if you have any specific questions that you want me to answer for next week, feel free to put it in my ask - I got quite a few this week that I clarified in here (hopefully).

Thanks for reading! 

[authenticaussie]

Maybe MarcoSabo for send a ship????

who’s the werewolf and who’s the hunter

Marco again as the werewolf bc like…………….wb fammmmmm wb fam are Totally this rock’n’roiling pack of messy & dumb werewolves and he’s long-suffering but in an endlessly fond and adoring way, and like?? Imagine Sabo being raised by hunter!parents and knowing that what they tell him is wrong but also like they’re his parents, who is he to question them, how can he question them when he’s never known any different, when the werewolves he’s seen have been vicious and angry and cruel and tried to kill his best friend-

Marco who protects Haruta, who’s the smallest and the newest shift and they’re all so proud of her and he’s the one that’s closest to a goddamn dire wolf, what sort of beast of legend would he be if the only tale to his name was  I let my younger sister die? But Also Sabo’s never seen one of them protect anyone before and he’s like whaaat the Heck is this even a werewofl (and then sudden half-clothed man and sabo’s like ashjdfg yep he is very much a werewolf) and like!! Haruta growling and trying to get sabo to stay away but sabo has a gun and marco’s telling her to run and then because he knows she won’t run telling her to get help, and she whines but?? Does so?? And Sabo is just. What the Fuckity is going On Here and demanding to know wtf marco was doing and also jfc he keeps forgetting—(well, repressing,) that…the werewolves aren’t just wolves. They’re human under there, too….and it’s awkward talking to a wolf you just shot but he can’t shoot it(him) again. And so they talk and marco’s growling at him and being like if you go after haruta I’ll rip your throat out and sabo’s like look you’re gonna have some problems w/ that????

who’s the mermaid and who’s the fisherman

Sabo’s a marine biologist studying the effect of pollution on coral and marine life coughcoughhe’s also totally a really aggressive protester who does a Lot of shit like exposing corruption and infractions of environmental law and Marco’s the mermaid!! Sabo, while diving, accidentally snaps a picture of his tail and is like woah I’ve never seen that before…And then he’s like!!! RARE FISH MEANS WE CAN GET THIS CORAL PATCH DECLARED A PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT AND THEY CAN’T BUILD AN OIL SITE HERE. And so he goes diving heaps to try and catch sight of this fish again. And like?? random stuff also keeps happening around him?? Like, some of his notes are put in the wrong spot, and he’s sure he put them down by the table why are they now near the stern?? Why’s his sunglasses/cap missing??? where’s his left flipper??? And it all comes to a head when he looses his camera overboard while they’re sailing to a new patch to dive and he’s like !!! no!!!! Bc they can’t really get another out here and like?? Koala’s got one, but it’s hers, and it’s also technically the spare, and even if he could use it his was…It was his, and it was one of the first things he bought for himself and it’s…Sentimental

Anyway when they go diving he finds it perched on the reef and in the camera memory there’s a picture of this guy looking super shocked and heavily illuminated by the flash and holy shitting fuck the dude has a tail.

Following those photos are also really gorgeous ones of fish and coral and stuff, but Sabo’s more preoccupied with THE UNDERWATER DUDE WITH A TAIL  

who’s the witch and who’s the familiar

Again shapeshifting birb!marco as the familiar but Sabo is much better than ace at magic/practicing and is much more fascinated than ace is by the concept of magic so a lot of marco/sabo witch/famillair is sabo blowing stuff up/doing stuff he isn’t meant to and Marco being like whY THE FUCK DID YOU DO THIS THING I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO??

“It looked fun!!!/I was curious!!!” 

who’s the barista and who’s the coffee addict

They’re both coffee addicts but Marco would Totally be a barista and like no-one knows how much coffee he drinks every day bc well who knows if he’s filled up the cup again or if it’s the same cup from this morning?? (it’s totally been filled up at least 7-10 times) and Sabo is this Perpetually Exhausted young man who is like?? doing a ridiculous amount of work, people are like how have you not keeled over and d i e d yet and sabo’s like *raises coffee, looking at it vaguely like it is his god, absolutely exhausted,* “how can I die when there is still such beauty in this world??” and everyone think he’s being pretentious/talking about something actually beautiful but marco’s seen him confusedly mumbling to his laptop/coffee cup when it’s empty and bemoaning his loneliness bc how could coffee, coffee!!! of all things, leave him. Marco just gets into the habit of making sure Sabo gets a new coffee before his runs out, and also that sabo leaves the cafe rather than staying there for 24 hours in a state of absolute exhausted delirium.   

who’s the professor and who’s the TA

Sabo would be TA!!! Like I can see him being a professor but I can also see him just like, angrily colour-coding marco’s schedule and organising so much shit and marco’s vaguely annoyed because he knew what was going on and now it’s this fucking rainbow riot in his notebook and oh god sabo’s following him around and taking notes on how marco interacts w/ others and teaches and offers hints and has little stars next to things he thinks are Good and—-

sabo’s bringing him coffee at 4am Sabo is a God

who’s the knight and who’s the prince(ss)

Marco’s the knight and Sabo’s the prince!! Kind of. He’s a noble and he’s set to marry the princess but he sure as fuck doesn’t want too and he totally sneaks off and disguises himself as a pauper/doesn’t introduce himself to marco properly and marco’s like oh are you one of the new guards from the Outlooks’ place?? don’t worry abt being late I know some of the other knights are dickheads and like making sure the newbies get lost. And sabo’s just like uhhhhhh yeeeep that’s me, guard in training, t o t a l l y

Accidentally introduces himself as sabo as is like SURE DOES GET CONFUSING AT THE OUTLOOK HOME, BEING THE SECOND SABO. HAHA. HAH. Marco totally ends up figuring it out, mainly because when Sabo is confronted with things that look interesting but he knows nothing about he is curious and inquisitive to a degree that he cannot hide, and he gets curious/confused about so many things that don’t make sense, like sword smithing and break times/shifts and training regimens and what you need to study to be a knight, but like?? I don’t think Marco would make a big deal out of it. Like….he’d be shocked, and confused, and be like hooooly shit and maybe act a little weirder/stiffer around Sabo because he’s like this dude is going to be my boss some day I should really really really not find him adorable and funny and clever but also?? He totally figures out why Sabo hid it from him and why he did what he did- because there was so much freedom in curiosity, in being able to see something new, in being somewhere where people didn’t know you. And like, Sabo’s parents totally discouraged him asking questions, so like?? Marco not only permitting it but encouraging it??? Sabo loves that. 

who’s the teacher and who’s the single parent

Marco is the eternally tired and utterly adored/adoring single parent that dotes on his kids and also has several thousand siblings who also get referred to as various mom/dad/uncle/auntie/sister/brother titles and Sabo-the-only-child is like oh my god I’m So confused. He later finds out that Marco is basically just helicopter mom to all of these orphan/abandoned kids and that the wb fam is the Best foster home/orphanage system in town and all the adults are trained to deal w/ the different issues the kids might have, and support tf out of them, and Marco usually gets??? problem kids??? Or ones who need a lot of attention and to be the only kid?? Bc Marco can handle one kid, and can honestly be kind of suffocating in his affection/worry later on in the kid’s life, but he’s still?? Dude he’s raised for 40 other siblings he Knows how to Control the House. And sab’s just…super impressed and they talk about what marco’s current kid needs and sabo works harder at his job bc like!!! damn,,,marco’s inspiring w/ how much he cares……  

who’s the writer and who’s the editor

Either Sabo or Marco would make good editors!!! Sabo can be a perfectionist and is very stubborn when it comes to learning things he’s interested in (sometimes I’d like to see like….or I mean, something I’d like to see more of??? Is like, his dream was to write a book or every place he’d ever been and all the people and have a great adventure, and just?? I wish I could see more of how that would affect him in aus where he doesn’t loose his memory, BUT. DIGRESSION.) I think that while both would write, Sabo would write to a vicarious, excessive degree. Fantasy novels, travel books, food reviews, short stories, poems! Everything, and constantly. Marco is his harried and amazed editor who’s always like sabo before you start your 29873th novel what about novel 29872 and Sabo’s like,,,,,,,,,,,,,,#sweats

I can see him primarily writing travel books and huge adventure novels. Massive and intricate and delightful and !! they’re just super good. They can be a bit hard to read, bc they get a bit dense and complicated, but he’s a super smart and captivating writer, and though he errs too far into description (Marco one time sent him back a manuscript with two chapters circled and only the comment ‘sigh’ because they’d been two chapters on the history of some people who lived on a mountain who only came up once) he’s enjoyable and clever and his books are so interesting. 

[pheuthe]

18, coldflash?

((Thank you so much for the prompt, and sorry for the wait :’D))

Barry bolts awake in the middle of the night. That, in itself, wouldn’t be unusual, at least not since he’s become a superhero; nightmares are a part of the deal that nobody’s ever warned him about.

But this time, it’s not the memory of a building falling apart with people still in it, or of his friends getting kidnapped by the villain of the month. This time, the threat is very real as he hears another clattering noise from the living room.

Barry curses mentally because of course someone chose to rob his apartment. And of course it has to be the night he finally wanted to get some rest after sixty-five hours of running around and wolfing down protein bars like nobody’s business.

He can’t very well use his powers unless absolutely necessary, since the Flash suit is safely tucked away in STAR Labs, but he slides out of bed as quietly as possible and wishes he was the kind of a guy to have a baseball bat handy. 

The lights of the city illuminate the living room well enough, but Barry still blinks and squints as his eyes struggle to adjust to the shape of the man in his apartment. It’s not that Barry can’t see him… it’s just that he didn’t expect this exact man to crawl through Barry’s window at three in the morning.

Or ever, really, considering that the last he’s heard of him, Leonard Snart has died a heroic death to save the world.

Barry’s mouth falls open, but no words make it through: he stares at Len, and it is Len, with his long limbs looking even longer sans the parka, grumbling quietly under his breath as he tries to move without knocking stuff down. It doesn’t work that well - as Barry watches, Len’s hip brushes against a stack of magazines and the man does his best to prevent them from falling to the floor, but a few escape his hasty grip and there’s a quiet, hissed ‘shit’. The unmistakable voice, more than anything, jolts Barry out of his weird trance-like state.

“You’re supposed to be dead,” he says, and Len’s head jerks up. Several more magazines fall out of his grasp, falling to the floor with a loud ‘slap’. Barry finds himself watching the mess as if from a great distance, wondering when was the last time he cleaned up.

“I’m alive,” Len says, like it’s no big deal, but he sounds strained, and in the next moment, he bends a little bit, his hand pressing against his ribs, or his side - Barry can’t see that well. “I can tell because of the pain.”

That startles Barry into action and he zips to Len’s side - no use pretending with him, anyway. 

“Let me see,” he starts, then realizes he’s not going to see anything in the dark, and flashes to the light switch, then back to Len before the man can even register the motion. He peels Len’s hand away and draws a sharp breath at the sight of blood while Len’s still busy squinting against the sudden light in the room.

“What happened?” Barry asks, already pushing Len’s tight shirt up to see the wound. There’s a hiss, and an audible swallow, and Len sounds a bit like he’s going to be sick.

“You moved,” he huffs, and Barry raises an eyebrow at him. 

“What?”

“Didn’t think this place was yours,” Len snarls, and Barry closes his eyes in exasperation. If he had any doubts about the authenticity of the man who is supposed to be dead (he didn’t), the sheer amount of frustration building in Barry’s chest every time Leonard Snart is around would be proof enough. 

“So you broke into a random building - while seriously hurt.”

“Not serious,” Len argues. Barry pulls the ragged fabric of his shirt away from the wound. Len hisses, conceding Barry’s point. 

“I meant what happened to you,” Barry says while examining the - yeah, definitely a gunshot wound. Multiple shots close together, it would appear. It’s a miracle Len’s still upright, but Barry’s not going to state that out loud. It’s likely that Len’s mind is holding him steady with sheer obstinacy, and Barry’s not gonna mess with that careful equilibrium of spite.

“Got shot.”

Barry just stares. His face must be enough to convey the ‘no shit, Sherlock’, because Len makes a face and rolls his eyes. Winces again, for good measure, and sighs.

“Let’s say some people don’t believe that dying to save the world repays all debts.”

“You shouldn’t have died where nobody could see,” Barry huffs - he realizes he should probably play nice, but he’s exhausted and he’s had a really awful week - month, actually. And having Len crash back into his life after seven full years of making peace with the idea that the man was dead doesn’t exactly alleviate the stress. 

“I’ll pick a better venue next time,” Len sneers. 

It hurts in Barry’s chest, how much he’s missed that voice. With a sigh, he lets go of the bloody shirt and turns towards the kitchen.“Come on, let’s get you patched up.”

“Don’t you usually practice your craft on the dead?” Len observes, and Barry gives him a pointed look that makes him smirk, even though he ends up coughing and wincing in pain again.

There’s a lot of cursing involved, and Barry has to pry the bottle of rubbing alcohol out of Len’s hands regardless of how many times the idiot claims that one little sip won’t hurt anybody. Not that Barry can blame him: blood-loss and several bullet-holes in one’s body would make anyone itching for a bit of relief, so Barry dishes out some painkillers and tries to be gentle as he pries the bullets out of Len’s side.

There are three, in the end, none of which have splintered or caught anything (too) vital.

“I’m still calling Caitlin over later,” he declares as he lets cold water run over his bloody hands. He really should’ve done the dishes before… but in all fairness, he didn’t expect to perform amateur emergency surgery on his dead nemesis in the wee hours of the morning.

Len must be exhausted, because he doesn’t complain. He watches Barry, with that attentive, disconcertingly focused way of his, even though he’s loopy on meds already. Barry doesn’t have to look to know - his neck itches under the weight of the gaze he used to know so damn well. He lets the cold water run over his hands for a moment longer than absolutely necessary before he turns around again. It’s been such a long time, and he’s been carried on a wave of adrenaline so far, but with Len bandaged up and not keeling over, the rush of it all is starting to recede, leaving behind the painful, bittersweet memories.

Len’s never been in this apartment before, but he’s been in Barry’s space, and it stings to see him here now, and feel like he might still belong, if everything weren’t quite so surreal. Barry walks closer and wonders if maybe someone has caught him in an imaginary world that will dissolve right in front of his eyes any moment. Len, damn him, twitches as if reaching out, but drops his hand before the gesture can fully form. His mouth is a vicious sneer, one reserved for those who hurt him but would never know until they were hurt in turn.

“Ah. I forgot - you’re married man now, aren’t you? Mr. Allen - or is it Mr. West?”

The bite in Len’s words is all pain, Barry still remembers that; remembers being younger and less resilient against it, incapable of handling Len’s quiet, simmering rage at the world. Now, he doesn’t feel the same trepidation and helplessness - now, he crosses his arms over his chest and actually enjoys bringing this piece of news to the man who couldn’t have been back from the dead for too long, or he would’ve known already.

“She’s Mrs. Snart-West now, actually.”

The startled look on Len’s face is worth every argument he’s ever had with Iris about marrying the half-criminal sister of a fully-criminal brother. As if he could throw stones, where the matter of morality and law enforcement is concerned.

Len’s still gaping like a fish, so Barry walks back to the living room and retrieves a picture frame. Len leaves smudges of blood on the stainless steel, but that’s a small price to pay for the way his eyes widen, then mist over at the sight of his sister, laughing openly in the picture, arm draped around Iris’ shoulder, both of them so pretty in white and in their private bubble of joy.

“April 2020,” Barry clarifies, leaning against the counter next to Len. “Right after the whole mess with dinosaurs- don’t ask,” he shakes his head, not wishing to go back to that particular nightmare. 

Len’s grip on the frame slackens a little, and Barry owes it to his speed that the glass doesn’t shatter on the floor. He sets the frame on the counter and looks at Len, truly looks: he doesn’t look a day older than when Barry last saw him, so many years ago, but he’s visibly tired, aching, and in dire need of rest.

“Let’s get you to bed, how about that,” Barry offers, wrapping careful fingers around Len’s elbow. The icy-blue eyes dart up to meet his own, up close, and Barry’s breath, damn it, catches in his lungs like it had nearly a decade earlier, right before Len first kissed him, in a dirty back-alley, with lips tasting like the fries he’d stolen off Barry’s plate.

It’s a testament to how loopy Len really is when his eyes remain open, not just physically but also figuratively, contemplating Barry with the naked wonder that used to make Barry blush and stutter. It makes him hurt now, but he’s been through all sorts of pain in the last decade and he knows that this is not the worst kind.

“Yours?” Len asks, and Barry wonders if he’s asking just about the bed. He’s not ready to answer the other implications, even with Iris no longer there as an ideal clouding his judgment as to what he might possibly truly want. So he smiles, and shrugs, and his fingers steady over Len’s elbow.

“None other here. I’m not gonna let a hurt guy sleep on the couch. Just try not to bleed on the sheets, okay?”

Len doesn’t manage to do that, in the end - but when they unwrap his bandages in the morning and the gaping wound is no longer there, leaving behind only small, round scars, they have more pressing matters to attend to than discuss ruined sheets. And Barry thinks, as he sits back and lets Caitlin to her job of dragging Len into a whirlwind of exams and scans and tests, that he shouldn’t feel like the world has been righted after having been tilted out of place just a little bit. But then Len meets his eyes as Caitlin pokes yet another needle into his arm, and his smile is sardonic and lopsided and beautiful, and Barry feels like maybe, finally, things will be okay.

For a while, anyway.

[laboratorioautoral]

@buttercuparry, as you suggested:

Of course any young woman inside the castle would agree that needlework was positively the worst punishment in the world, at least that was what Sarra thought and she had no sisters to say otherwise.

For a young princess of seven, she was known to be a bit…Different. Her mother would name her distant and poorly behaved, her brothers would call her airheaded. Sarra preferred the way her father and cousin Aemon called her. Sarra, the Dreamer.

Everybody in the castle knew that any kind of activity that required a long time sitting still would be impossible for her. The girl’s mind would often travel all over the known world and sometimes even to the places beyond the maps. Old Nan usually said that little Sarra had much and more of the old Starks. She was a Targaryen though. A princess of Winterfell, but still a Targaryen.

“No, child. You are all Stark.” Nan would say sadly. Sarra wondered if that had something to do with Maester Leonard’s lessons…Unfortunately she had slept during the last one, so she couldn’t remember a thing about the Starks or why would she look like one.

If she liked to sleep during the maester’s classes, Sarra simply preferred to run away from needlework classes with her septa. The problem was that the little princess was running out of places to hide inside the castle.

Her little feet took her to an abandoned part of the old castle. Although the castle had belonged to the Starks almost a century ago, the Targaryens had taken over the North and their traditions were mixed with those of the Starks. They no longer used the crypts, since the Targaryens preferred to give the dead ones to the fire.

Rickard used to say that place was haunted by the old Kings in the North, but what did her brother knew about anything? It was just an old and big room, always cold and dark…Full of scary statues and…dead people.

She walked carefully between the statues, every now and then stopping to notice how ugly some of the old kings were, or to read their names on the board to ask about them later.

Sarra couldn’t hope noticing that there were no women in there. No Queen Alyssane, or Lyarra, or Aragelle, or whatever other names the Starks might have. That was so frustrating!

Eventually Sarra got tired and sat by one of the many Brandons to pet his stone wolf. She wished to have a dire wolf like some of her siblings had, but father said she was still too young. Maybe she could get a dragon too, but a dragon would hardly fit inside her room.

She was so distracted in her daydreams that she didn’t see another torch burning, or heard the sound of steps.

“There you are!” Aemon said with a relieved smile. He was breathless and sweaty. If her mother saw him she would say that Aemon looked more like a stable boy than a prince. “Everybody is looking for you upstairs.”

“Class was boring.” Sarra said as a matter of fact.

“According to your perception, all of your classes are boring.” Aemon said with a laugh as he sat by her side. “How will you help me ruling if you don’t know a thing about anything? I can’t have a dummy in my Small Council, you know?”

“I know about dragons. I can take care of the pit.” She suggested.

“You are way too small to take care of dragons. They would devour you in one bite.”  The crown prince said.

“I prefer that than needlework. You would prefer too if you had to learn it.” Sarra complained while looking down to her shoes. Aemon laughed.

“I know a story about a princess that hated needlework, until she found her own needle.” Aemon said in that way…The way that said he knew the greatest story of all times just because he was older and the all mighty crown prince…Well his stories were really great.

“Will you tell me or I’ll have to do something before first?” She asked annoyed. There was always a price for his stories.

“You must promise to stop running away from your classes. I can’t afford having a stupid cousin, you know?”

“Even needlework?” She tried to blink her eyes like a lost pup, he laughed.

“Even needlework.” He insisted. “Promise?”

“Yes.” It came out in a sight.

“Come with me.” Aemon said with a confident smile before offering her his hand.

They walked a bit further, until they reached a part of the crypts that didn’t look as old as the rest. For the first time since she entered the room Sarra found not one but two women in the crypt!

“Who are they?” She asked thrilled as she looked at the first women.

“This one is Lady Lyanna Stark.” Aemon declared proudly. “You know…The one of the sad song you like.”

“Oh!” Her eyes grew wide.

“The one I want to show you is this one.” Aemon pointed to the second woman sitting on a throne. Her face was pretty and harsh. She had a wolf on her feet, a rose in one hand and a sword resting by her throne. “If you paid attention to the maester you would know about her already.”

“Who is she?” Sarra asked curiously.

“Queen Arya of Winterfell. The only woman to be Queen in the North on her own right.” Aemon said. “She hated needlework when she was about your age. Because of that, great-grandfather Jon gave her that sword and called it Needle.”

“Oh! Can I have a Needle too?” She asked thrilled.

“Well…I guess I can give you one on your next name day.” Aemon smiled at her fondly. “She travelled all over the country running away and even sailed to Braavos where she learned some dark arts. Some say she was a witch, but grandfather used to say she was just different.”

“Like me?” Sarra asked.

“I guess so.” Aemon agreed. “She claimed Winterfell back using her Needle and a pack of a thousand wolves and her direwolf was Nymeria.”

“What happened to her afterwards?” Sarra asked already thrilled with the tales of her brand new hero.

“She ruled as sole sovereign in the North for a short while until she married.” Aemon said. “You should know about that. She is the reason why there are Targaryens in Winterfell.”

“Why there must always be a marriage?” Sarra asked slightly disappointed. Aemon laughed a bit. “I bet he was ugly, fat and old. I bet he didn’t even like her.”

“Why are you saying that?” Aemon asked.

“That’s what happens.” She answered as a matter of fact. “Alys is going to marry some chubby boy from Deepwood Moat. Her sister married an old man from the South. Mom says if I don’t behave the only suitors I’ll get are those with pox scars.”

“You are a princess and when I’m king I’ll make sure to find you someone you like.” Aemon said. “Queen Arya married her cousin, King Jon.”

“Great-grandpa?!” Sarra asked.

“Yes. It’s a pity you were too young to meet him. He wanted you to be named after her.” Aemon said. “He loved her dearly and I remember him saying that she was also his best friend, like we are. They married for both politics and love. They had so many children together that a whole branch of their family took seat at Winterfell and started the Northern Targaryen lineage. I guess that she is the reason why Old Nan says you are all Stark. Grandfather says you remind him of her. I guess this is the greatest compliment I’ve ever seen giving to anyone.”

“Hey…You are my cousin.” Sarra pointed curiously. “Does it mean I’ll marry you too?”

At that Aemon blushed and tried to conceal a nervous laugh.

“Well…Maybe.” He said.

“Good. At least you don’t have pox scars. I don’t want you to get fat, though.” Sarra said in an annoyed tone. “And you must give me my own sword, or I won’t like you at all and I’ll put mud inside your boots every day.”

“Is there anything else that you want, oh mighty lady?” Aemon mocked her. Sarra nodded.

“I want wolves too and I want to go to Braavos.” She said.

“I would like to go to Braavos too.” Aemon smiled at her fondly. “I guess we can go there one day.”

“We can use a dragon to fly there!” Sarra said.

“Anything you want, but you’ll only get it if you start paying attention to your classes. I want my queen to be as clever as Queen Arya was.”

[ulyssessklein]

Brotherhood of the Guitar: Jacob Reese Thornton

Interview by: Rick Landers

Jacob Thornton Reese: Image courtesy of Robert M. Knight.

With hot young talent waiting in the wings, like Jacob Reese Thornton, it won’t be long before a new generation of guitarists will rearrange the musical landscape from theatrics and synthetic musical hype, and take it back to gut level guitar work grounded in traditional roots, but with a willingness and a drive to explore more than the pentatonic scale.

With a nod to tradition and a bent toward split second riffs, Thornton reworked some Chuck Berry terraforms into a heavy fueled Christmas romp of his own making, “Run, Rudolph, Run” (Marks & Brodie).  And even that’s a grab at tradition that was explored by the likes of The Beach Boys, The Beatles and others who couldn’t resist Chuck’s foundational licks.

Jacob Reese Thornton is a 15 year old songwriter and guitar prodigy based in South Florida. Jacob writes and plays rock and blues with precision, depth and a passion that belies his age. Jacob first picked up the guitar at age 9, and has hardly put it down since. Check out Thornton’s track, “Bombs Away” to get a fix on the lad’s guitar skills and talents, as well as his ability to capture center stage as well as many well-known front men.

Thanks to a number of outstanding musical mentors, Jacob quickly developed a reputation as a gifted up and coming young artist. Jacob has traded licks onstage with blues legend Buddy Guy, and his remarkable live videos have collectively received nearly 1 million views on social media.

Jacob’s varied influences include Stevie Ray Vaughan, Elmore James, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Chuck Berry, Dire Straits, Neil Young, Foo Fighters, Cheap Trick, Joan Jett, the Ramones, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, the Allman Brothers Band, the Clash and Miles Davis, among many others.

******

Rick Landers: Well, here comes Christmas and I see you’ve covered those snowy tracks with a Chuck Berry laden romp, “Run, Rudolph, Run”.  I dug the spirit of your song and your break crunched along with great angst, but really mostly a fun romp. What brought that on and were you able to pull that lead In during the session or did you have it in your hip pocket already?

Jacob Reese Thornton: Thanks! I’m a big Chuck Berry fan and Rudolph is a fun song I used to throw into my live set around the holidays.  It was a blast to make. My friend Bryce Kretz did an amazing job on the drums, and I pretty much did everything else.  The solo was mapped on the fly. I just went with what felt right. What I like most about the track are the rhythm parts. The main riff is two guitars blended and panned, one of which is in an open tuning.  It gives it a chainsaw sound, which I love. I’m stoked it’s gotten a good reception and even some radio airplay.

Rick: Learning guitar has come a long way from dropping the needle on a 45 over and over again until you figured out the licks to today, where there’s Youtube, in-person lessons, figuring out licks with friends and more. What and who were you able you able to draw from to figured out how to run up and down the neck?

Jacob Reese Thornton: Yeah, there are lots of options for learning.  When I started, I would play along with my favorite songs and first try to figure it out myself. It was a challenge.  If I couldn’t, then I would go to YouTube. I listened to lot of different stuff like Green Day, Lindsey Buckingham, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, etcetera.  

Billie Joe Armstrong is a great place to start with guitar because a lot of his songs are just three power chords and the truth! I also began playing live at a young age, with older musicians who taught me a lot.  I learned that what not to play is just as important, and to seek tone before speed. I see a lot of young players hide behind distortion or expression pedals. My teacher, Fritz Dorigo, always emphasized tone and precision. If the note sounds great let it hang a little longer, you know?

Jason Reese Thornton – Image courtesy of Robert M. Knight.

Rick: Were any members of your family inspirational or helping you follow your dream to make a hobby a profession?

Jacob Reese Thornton:  My parents have a massive music collection. I went deep into that at a young age. My great grandmother owned a recording studio and small indie label in Nashville in the late ’60s, and my great aunt was a Nashville based musician in her day.  So, I guess it’s running around in my DNA somewhere. My family are all extremely supportive.

Rick: There’s a whole world of music out there to draw from, as well as music from the past hundred years. African, Ukraine, Navajo…all kinds of music, and then there’s classic rock. Have you explored or considered where you might find inspiration, in places that are culturally different from your own roots?

Jacob Reese Thornton:  I like accessible classic jazz, like Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue and John Coltrane’s stuff.  I’m not a big fan of experimental jazz or fusion. Basically, I love rock and roll music. Big drums, guitars, and sweeping melodies. That’s what appeals to me. I’m into open tunings these days and discovering those possibilities.

I’m also a blues fan.  I am always searching for a song that grabs me right away and makes the hair on my arms stand up. Noel Gallagher does that for me. He is my favorite songwriter right now, especially his recent High Flying Birds stuff. Lindsey Buckingham does that for me too with his guitar playing. He’s from another planet.

Rick: How did “Bombs Away” come about and how did you meet Bob Kulick and Bobby Ferrari – What have they been like to work with? And how’s the song doing – getting a good reception and good air play?

Jacob Reese Thornton:  “Bombs Away” is the oldest song on the record, and one of the first tunes I ever wrote. Stylistically, it is kind of a nod to Joan Jett, who I also love. That’s the “in your face” cut on the record. It’s about being brave enough to suffer the consequences of sharing hard truths. Sometimes things need to be said.  

I met Bob and Bobby through rock photographer Robert M. Knight. They were both so supportive of my writing and took off the kid gloves. It was hard work but I learned a ton from them. Even though I’m a lead player, one big take away from my time with Bob was rhythm guitar dynamics. He taught me a lot about that, and it changed the way I approach things. I will always be grateful for that experience.  

Rick: Let’s talk a little about gear. What’s your “go to” guitar at home and what are you using on stage? Amps? Effects? Cowbell?

Jacob Reese Thornton: Cowbell is obviously my go to instrument! [Laughs].  My main guitar for writing is a 2012 Martin EC28 acoustic, which I modified with a Fishman pickup.  I do all my writing with that guitar, and use it live and in the studio. That guitar is rarely out of reach and will be with me for life.  Almost lost it recently though. Someone broke into our car on the way to a Nashville gig. They stole an iPad, but overlooked the Martin, thank God!  

In terms of electric, I have several main ones set up for different songs. Most of the Different Times LP was cut with an Ernie Ball Music Man Cutlass HSS.  I am also a big fan of P90 pickups and have a few Les Paul, Jr.’s. I’ll reach for those when I want something that roars, and sometimes will use those for slide.  I like the Telecasters for open tunings or a bit of twang.

As far as amps, it depends. I actually love the Kemper Profiling Amp. My live set requires a number of different tones, which I profiled through the Kemper.  It makes it easy to quickly shift between them. If I am pushing air, I’ll use either a Marshall Jubilee reissue or an old Fender Deluxe blackface. As for pedals, I mostly get by with a Boss Blues Driver overdrive, a Boss delay and an MXR flanger. Acoustically, I am a big fan of the Fishman TonedEQ.

Rick: How did you wind up working with rock photographer and co-founder of the Brotherhood of the Guitar, Robert M. Knight?

Jacob Reese Thornton:  Robert is the dude.  He reached out to my Dad when I was 13, after he put up a video of me playing a Stevie Ray Vaughan instrumental. The clip got some attention from the social media rock magazines, which is how he found us.  Robert is an amazing person and, of course, a legendary rock photographer. And the stories! He has had a front row seat to so much music history. He continues to help so many young musicians like me.

Robert recently introduced me to Slash and Steve Lukather, and it was obvious how much both of those guys like and respect him. He has opened doors for so many players.  If you have not yet read it, get Robert’s latest photography book, Rock Gods, Vol. 2, which just came out. It’s incredible.

Rick: The music business is a lot about connections and Robert has those, but I found if you don’t have the talent, you need to up your game to become a “Brother”, or “Sister” of The Brotherhood. How did you prove yourself to Robert to get on board?

Jacob Reese Thornton:  I guess you would have to ask him that. I keep trying to do what I do to the best of my ability.  The level of talent in the Brotherhood roster is humbling, to say the least. I’m just grateful to be a part of it. It provides a way for younger more players around the world to find each other and even collaborate, which is really important.

  Jason Reese Thornton – Image courtesy of Robert M. Knight.

Rick: Did he pull you out of oblivion or were you already working on some kind of heavy fueled ambition and strategy that was working for you?

Jacob Reese Thornton:  Well, Robert has obviously opened some doors.  He also introduced me to my amazing manager, Michelle Bakker, who is super connected herself.  I’m super grateful for both of them, and for all of the mentors I was blessed to have an early age who helped and encouraged me.  I knew early that playing guitar and writing songs inspired me more than anything else. I do this first because it’s what I love to do.  As long as it comes across as honest and authentic – even if it’s not for them – then I’ve succeeded.

Rick: Your career seems to be moving at a solid fast pace, have you been surprised at anything about the industry that you’ve found very surprising or interesting?

Jacob Reese Thornton:  Well, I think everyone knows there is a tidal wave of B.S. to navigate, even at a local level.  I saw that early on. There are people with agendas who tell you what you want to hear, then twist a knife when you aren’t looking.  So many people are struggling to be seen and heard in this business; to be recognized. I’m not always comfortable with the self-promotional stuff you have to do either.

But, musicians live and die by social media these days. The most disappointing thing is that the industry doesn’t seem to invest in developing new talent. And it abandoned guitar based music in favor of music made by computers. I never understood how a DJ could make 10,000 people scream with a laptop. I believe art must be made by human hands. Its okay if it is not perfect, because people aren’t perfect.

Rick: I suspect it’s easy to let one’s ego get ahead of you when others are telling you you’re phenomenal. Do you believe them straight away or are you cautious to keep things grounded, and real? Tough to do?

Jacob Reese Thornton: I definitely wouldn’t believe anything like that at all.  It’s easy for me to stay grounded, because I know what my strengths and weaknesses are.  I have a solid team, a great family and friends who keep me smart and push me to strive for the next level.  

Rick: From what I can tell you’re getting some experience-based mentoring from top performers, producers, and a solid management team. Do they ever suggest you take a breather or go slow sometimes to let some things grow organically or are you wanting to be on a fast track?

Jacob Reese Thornton:  I’ve been lucky that way and am thankful for them.  I’m just doing what makes me happy and inspires me. We are not trying to chase anything too much.  What’s meant to happen will happen in its own time. Of course, I would love nothing more than a life of creating music that people relate to.  To make a decent living doing that would be such a blessing. That’s a dream that I share with a million other young musicians [Laughs]. It’s pretty crowded down here!

Rick: Okay, you’ve gotta tell us what it was like hanging with the legendary Buddy Guy, assuming you two had the chance to trade licks or just chat and chew a bit.

Jacob Reese Thornton: When I was 12, I went to a concert of his.  During a quiet moment from the front row I asked if I could play.  He stared at me for a second and said “Come on up here young man.” A crew member handed me a spare Strat. The next thing I knew I was on stage trading licks with him. It was a intimidating because I had only been playing for a few years at that point. But, it was an awesome moment I will never forget.  

Buddy split pretty quickly after the show, but he chatted with us briefly and was very kind and encouraging. I wish I could do it again now!