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thelostconsultant · 2 days

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Delicate. part 1

pairing: Charles Leclerc x reader

note: Lando invites everyone to his New Year's Eve party, but Charles convinces you to join him on a hunt for food.

You knew this New Year’s Eve party was important to Lando, you knew he wanted everyone to be there, so you put on a shiny, dark pink sequin mini dress, applied some light makeup, then headed out to the club that he somehow managed to reserve for himself. How long he’d been planning this, you had no idea, but he surely went a little overboard this time. I just want to be alone with my friends, that’s not a crime, he defended himself when you pointed this out to him a few weeks ago.

At the party, you felt a little out of place. This was the first time in years you weren’t entering the new year on the side of your boyfriend, the one you had broken up with half a year ago. It was a mutual decision, the spark wasn’t there anymore, so you didn’t miss him, you just missed the idea of clinging to someone the whole night. It was pathetic, you hated yourself for feeling this way, but there was nothing you could do about it.

Your best friend knew Lando, but she didn’t get an invitation because everybody knew she spent every New Year’s Eve on a yacht in the Maldives. She tried to convince you to go with her this year, but you didn’t feel like leaving Monaco for a place so far away, especially not when she would be all over her boyfriend the whole time. They were cute together, you loved them, but third wheeling wasn’t so inviting.

You chatted with a few people, even let someone convince you to dance a little, but then you found a couch in the back of the club that you chose as your permanent spot for the rest of the night when you sat down with a cocktail in your hand. It was nice to sit back and watch the people around you celebrate, having the time of their lives from the looks of it. Despite the weird feeling you had since you arrived, you couldn’t help but smile at the sight. At least they were happy. They were celebrating.

You? You didn’t know what to look out for in the new year. Maybe you should get a job again. After you finished your studies, you worked for a consulting company for a year, but then you had enough of the excel files and the presentations, and decided to be nothing more than a carefree heiress in the future. Your grandmother, who came from a wealthy family with a long history, had always favored you over her children, including your mother. So, when she died, she left everything to you in her will.

The peaceful people-watching activity was disrupted when you noticed someone plopping down next to you out of the corner of your eye. It annoyed you, really, but once you turned to look at who it was, your annoyance disappeared as if it hadn’t even been there. You didn’t really know Charles. Sure, he was on good terms with Lando, sometimes you attended the same parties, but the most you exchanged were probably a total of ten sentences in the span of years. But he had that calming aura around him, one that made you feel better, as if you were suddenly wrapped in a warm blanket.

At first, you didn’t talk, there was no need for that. He just probably needed a place to sit down until he got a little rest before rejoining the party. Sipping your drink, you continued to watch the people, completely ignoring your neighbor. But then you began to have a strange feeling, as if someone was watching you, eyes burning a hole in you without knowing, and it didn’t take long to figure out it was him who was shamelessly ogling you.

When you turned to him with a questioning look, he quickly shifted his gaze somewhere else, acting like he hadn’t just been caught in the act of staring at you. Shaking your head a little, you decided to ignore him for now. He was probably drunk and had no idea what was appropriate anymore. Although, he didn’t seem that out of it, in fact, he just looked tired with those dark circles under his eyes.

And then you felt his thigh press against yours, shoulders touching after he moved closer to you. “I bet you don’t wanna be here either,” he said, leaning close so you could hear him over the music. Finally turning to acknowledge him, you give him a surprised look. “Lando was quite literally begging me to come tonight. I’m only here because I promised, even though I’d rather be somewhere else. Anywhere else,” he added.

“If I could choose, I’d be sitting on my couch with a blanket around me, eating popcorn while holding a movie marathon,” you admitted with a smile. “But it’s impossible to say no to him.”

“Sad, but true.” His green eyes turned to the crowd in front of you, but you didn’t miss the way his fingers played with his bracelets. “I would give up my car for some popcorn. Or a pizza. Or some pasta. Anything, really, because I’m starving,” he told you as he looked back.

The last time you were around the other side of the club, there was a huge table with a lot of food, how could he not see that? But when you shared this little piece of information with him, he just laughed, and his bright smile reached his eyes too. You wondered what was so funny about this, but you soon got your answer.

“Yeah, that was true until about an hour ago. I was just about to finally eat something, but some guy grabbed the very last of the sliders I had my eyes on. The table is empty. There’s no food. We’re going to die.” He dramatically threw his hands in the air as he leaned back, glancing down at his watch. “It’s only eleven, I don’t know how long I’ll last. Do you think I will live until midnight?”

You couldn’t help but laugh at his question. But you weren’t laughing at him, you were laughing with him. Now that he mentioned food, though, you realized that you were quite hungry too. “Did you really have to bring up food?” you asked him with a disapproving look.

Charles’s lips curled into a grin. “Now you’re hungry too, aren’t you?” When you nodded, he bumped his shoulder against yours. “It’s your fault for talking about popcorn,” he pointed out. “Although… Do you think Lando would notice if we left? He seems so busy partying that I highly doubt he would notice we’re not here.”

As your eyes scanned the crowd to find the host, you let out a thoughtful hum. The last time you saw him, which conveniently happened in the restroom, he was already on his way to get real drunk, and he was having so much fun you highly doubted he would care about some of his guests escaping. So, without thinking more about this, you turned to the Monegasque next to you and told him the answer is probably no.

“Great,” he said as he jumped up and extended his hand for you to grab it. When you just watched him with a questioning look, he leaned down to take your hand and pull you up. “Come on, I know a place where we can hopefully get food.” And with that, he took your hand and pulled you towards the exit, not really giving you the chance to object.

The two of you walked down the street, hands stuffed into the pockets of your jackets to fight the chilly night air, and you talked about music, movies, even about how Christmas went. You barely noticed that he came to a halt in front of a little bistro in a narrow street, holding up a pointer finger to ask for a second while he opened the door and peeked inside.

He spoke with someone in French, exchanging words you couldn’t quite make out, then he reached out for your hand with a smile on his face and pulled you inside. There was a small group of people sitting around a table, happily discussing something until they noticed you standing there. At first, there was silence. But then they erupted in cheers while someone stood up and pulled Charles into a hug.

A man in his late thirties ushered you to an empty chair by the table that he pulled out for you, then he poured both you and the Monegasque driver a glass of wine. You watched as your new companion got comfortable across from you, already deep in a conversation with an older man who explained something with wide motions of his hand.

Whoever these people were, they clearly welcomed him like he was family. The older man he was talking to called him son at one point, and Charles didn't flinch, he just smiled lovingly as he listened to the story. He was way more at ease here than he had been back in the club. The dark circles under his eyes were still there, but those green eyes came to life in this new environment.

Someone placed freshly made sandwiches in front of you, and you didn't miss the small smile on his face when he glanced at you for a moment. A little explanation would have been nice, just so you would know whose company you were enjoying, but since he didn't bother to explain, you focused your attention on your food. And when you took a bite? God, it was heavenly.

“Good, right?” When you glanced up, you noticed that a kind-looking, forty-something woman was now sitting on the chair next to you, her long brown hair flowing down her shoulders as her blue eyes watched you with a mischievous glint. “My father,” she began, motioning towards the man Charles was talking to, “opened this place because he wanted people to have actual conversations with each other while enjoying their food. Charles can have extremely long discussions with him about literally anything.”

Once you swallowed, you extended a hand to her to introduce yourself. After you got past that, you turned your finger around to show what you were about to say was related to everyone in this room. “So, is it a family event that he just crashed?” you wondered out loud.

Marie let out a laugh as she shook her head. “Hardly. They're all friends through my father, though. We always gather here on New Year's Eve, but this is the first time Charles came. Although, based on the way he made his sandwich disappear so fast, I guess it was the food that brought him here,” she said with a wide smile.

Guilt rushed through your body upon hearing this, because that's exactly what happened. But he seemed happy, maybe deep down he wanted to be here with his friends. They were so different from the ones you also hung out with, the F1 drivers and other celebrities. These were normal people, having normal conversations, acting genuinely and kindly.

You got lost in a conversation, but soon it was interrupted when she glanced at the clock on the wall. 11:55 p.m. It was almost time. She excused herself and left to fill flutes with champagne, and before you knew it, you were all standing in a circle, counting down to midnight. Charles was standing next to you, smiling so much that his nose crinkled in the cutest way.

Five. Four. Three. Two. One.

And just when you wanted to join the group as they said happy new year, you felt a hand on the back of your neck, then a few milliseconds later, before your brain could comprehend what was happening, Charles's lips crashed into yours. It was slow and soft, he definitely took his time with you as if you weren’t surrounded by people. And just as abruptly as it began, it came to an end eventually.

“It's in the law to kiss someone at midnight,” he said with a smile as he licked his lips.

For a while you were staring at him dumbfounded, but you managed to shake off this feeling and nodded after a short break. That’s true, it was a well-known tradition. Flashing a smile at him, you turned away to clink your glasses with the others, placing friendly kisses on their cheeks in the process, but Marie decided to pull you into a hug, treating you as if you had known each other for a long time.

It felt nice. Unlike at the party, here you actually felt like you belonged. Sure, you and Lando were really good friends, and yes, you knew many of his friends, but none of them was a close friend of yours. Yet, despite not really knowing Charles, the fact he was so relaxed and happy among his friends made you happy too. It was a contagious feeling, and maybe it was related to the warm welcome here that lifted your mood. These people were so different from the ones you were used to in your everyday life. It was charming, really.

You all sat down when someone pulled out a board game that seemed old and unfamiliar to you. But they were kind enough to explain the rules to you, and Charles even promised to help you throughout the game as he took a seat next to you. I only began to understand it around the third time we played it, so don’t be sad if you still don’t understand any of it by the end, he told you with a laugh. You returned his beaming smile, and in the next two hours or so you laughed a lot, argued a lot, and there was even some shouting when someone accused another of cheating.

By the time they packed up the game, you were so tired you couldn't fight back your yawns. You glanced at the clock on the wall and noticed it was past three in the morning, and you knew it was time to go home now, because even though fun’s fun, there's a limit to everything. The thought of your soft bed was inviting, like a siren calling for you from the distance, and the idea of spending the whole day in it was the cherry on top.

“Going home?” Marie asked you with her hand resting on your shoulder, her tired smile giving away that she was probably also debating calling it a day. When you nodded, she let out a defeated sigh. “I wish I could go too, but I promised my father I'd stick around and help him clean up a bit after everyone left.”

Without thinking much, you pulled her into a hug. “I'm sure you could convince him to clean up tomo–well, later today,” you finished with a laugh.

She leaned back to look at you. “And leave the dirty plates and glasses here? No, thank you. I'll just sleep a little longer, I guess,” she replied as she let you go.

Suddenly an arm landed around your shoulder, and based on the bracelets around the man's right wrist, it was a safe bet that the man was Charles. And sure enough, the driver's face came into view when he leaned into your field of vision. You watched him with a curious look in your eyes, but he didn't seem too interested in explaining what he wanted.

“I've already told this to your father, but thank you for hosting us, even though we arrived last minute without a warning,” he finished with a boyish smile before his green eyes turned to you. “But it's late, we'll head home now.”

Marie kissed his cheek, then she reached out to squeeze your hand as a goodbye. “It was nice to have you both here. You know you can jump in anytime. And you,” she went on, turning to you, “would better not disappear on me. Let's have lunch together someday.”

“Of course. I'll give you a call tomorrow when we're both fully awake,” you promised with a smile.

The two of you said goodbye to everyone, then stepped out on the street, standing next to each other in silence. It felt like you had suddenly run out of topics to discuss, although after some thinking, you managed to find something you could bring up.

“You could've stayed a little longer,” you told him as your eyes found his face again.

Charles laughed as he shook his head. “It's late, I could use some proper sleep too,” he admitted. As his eyes were focused on you, he bit on his lower lip and clearly thought about something. “Can I walk you home?”

“That’s a nice offer, but I already called a taxi. Thanks for bringing me here, though. I had fun,” you said with a wide smile. It was true, you couldn't remember the last time you had been to such a nice New Year's Eve party. Your phone pinged to tell you the taxi was arriving, and when you noticed the car pulling up, you stood on your toes and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “Goodnight, Charles.”

“Sleep tight,” he told you quietly, but you could feel there was something else he wanted to say.

In the end, he remained silent, and you got in the car that took you home. As you sat there with your eyes taking in how magnificent this city looked tonight, you couldn't help but think about how the party turned out. It was nice to get to know him a little better, seeing a side of him that maybe wasn't as visible from the outside as one would expect. If you had known how fun he could be, you probably would have become friendly with him sooner.

#charles leclerc x reader #charles leclerc x you #charles leclerc #formula 1 #f1 #f1 x reader #f1 x you #f1 imagine #f1 fanfic #lando norris

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girlwtdragontattoo · 3 days

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In your debt - Part 2

Young druid Halsin x Reader

Art belongs to @ozumii-fucking-wizard (i love your style UGH you have bewitched me with baby Halsin goodness 💜🖤💜)

Read Part 1 here :)

This is very short, sfw, fluffy goodness. I will def continue, I need some time to think of the next few beats.

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Halsin carried you through the brush. You were too weak to do anything other than lie limp in his thick arms, trying your hardest not to continuously stare at his carved face.

He had closed your wound with his incantations, but your insides were still badly damaged from your encounter with the goblin. The druid told you that he could attend to you further in his village. That’s where you were heading now.

“U-uhm…”, you stuttered meekly, as he pushed you a bit closer to his chest to avoid dense branches. Your face was the shade of a beet.

He looked down at you, while he kept his stride.

“Isn’t your village …”, you swallowed. How were you supposed to phrase this? “…under attack?”

Halsin nodded, understanding your confusion.

“It was. The goblins surrounded us and took us by surprise. Those two you ran into used the chaos to kidnap the little ones.” He ducked down a bit. He was too tall for this area. You would’ve never been able to reach the branches he was dodging.

“But they were extremely ill prepared. Fools, really. It was merely to divert our attention. We quickly defeated them. They did cause some damage to our crops and huts. So… you’ll see that once we arrive.”

You processed what he just told you. The goal of the goblins was to get those children. You remembered the goblins’ gross conversation before you got involved. You shuddered at the memory.

“They said they were bringing them to drows. That they wanted slaves…”, you replied, your voice tired.

You felt his grip around you get slightly tighter. It was brief, but you noticed his jaw clench as well.

“Filth…”, he growled under his breath. His eyes flickered down to you and he composed himself with a low grunt.

“I daren’t imagine what would have happened to them…had you not come along,” he concluded.

You said nothing. The dull pain in your abdomen protested that statement. A part of you wished you hadn’t intervened for your own sake. You felt awful at this moment, despite Halsin’s first aid.

There was a pause in the conversation. You didn’t know each other and yet he was holding you so intimately. You looked, smelled and felt like shit. It was awkward.

He walked swiftly, but you didn’t really feel the motion. His hold on you was steady and careful. You weighed almost nothing to him.

You cleared your throat, wanting to brook the quiet somehow. But you were so exhausted. Speaking was difficult. Halsin noticed your attempt and smiled to himself.

“Close your eyes. I’ll keep you safe,” he cooed.

He didn’t have to say it twice. Almost immediately, your eyes fell shut, as you leaned your head against his chest for comfort, having nowhere else to rest it. Halsin didn’t protest, observing you sinking deep into his hold. Sleep took you quickly. His eyes mellowed, gazing at your slumbering form, while he walked towards your destination.

You were cute. The children failed to mention that when they spoke about you.

#halsin bg3 #halsin #bg3 #halsin x reader #halsin x you #young halsin #young druid halsin #halsin silverbough #baldurs gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 fanfiction #halsin fanfic

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peachhoneii · 1 day

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"You are a dumber, sweatier version of him."

Ford and Stan conformed to society's expectations of twins and their individual pursuits throughout their entire lives. Ford is the talented, gifted academic. We know he can play piano extremely well. His abilities aren't restricted to the sciences obviously. In contrast, Stan is demoted as the less intelligent, less gifted twin. In many cases, especially in his father's treatment of him, he's perceived as the dumb twin.

After listening the GF commentary podcast and rewatching the show, we've all come to the general consensus that Stan isn't dumb. Stan can't be dumb. He lacks Ford's academic gifts but is able to recreate the portal using advanced sciences, maths, and etc. This man who didn't finish high school at best is able to understand and recreate the concepts his brother included in his journal.

The more I read and rewatch I can only assume Stan has some kind of learning disability that went undiagnosed. Let's not forget, Stan and Ford were likely born in the 1950s. There were not many resources for children living with dyslexia or adhd or add or any person living outside the "norm." Or he was lazy, felt defeated in trying to make good grades especially after what his dad when he got an F-.

They can never make me like you, Filbrick Elmer Pines. If he has no haters, then I'm dead.

While I don't want to say Ford treated Stan like he was dumb, he treated Stan as if he was less intelligent than him. Stan used to cheat off of his tests in school. We saw that. This behavior is another parallel/contrast between Mabel and Dipper. It highlights how close they are and how well they understand each other.

In Journal 3 Dipper says, "Can be a real friend when she's not doing one of her bits. She's smarter than people give her credit for, and often acts the way she does just to drive me insane."

This isn't to imply their dynamic is perfect. It isn't perfect. There are bumps and a few potholes in the roads, but Dipper always treats Mabel as an intelligent person, knows she sleeps on her own gifts so she can do her bits. The difference between Ford and Stan is that I don't think Ford wanted to accept Stan's gifts and would only begrudgingly internally.

The show doesn't highlight Mabel being treated as the dumb twin. She's treated as the silly twin with more emotional intelligence than Dipper. She can be selfish, but she's also considered more mature than Dipper. Hirsch definitely sees her as more mature in a way to Dipper.

The parallels are simply so beautiful to me. I appreciate how they're not 1:1 parallels, y'know. They can fit in each various slots but serve similar roles for each other.

#gravity falls #mabel pines #dipper pines #stanford pines #stanley pines #i love them so much love love love these characters

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blu3n · 2 days

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(.taking care of your mind.)

# Cw : Jason p. Todd × reader angst. Fluff

# wc : ( I really didn't count it must be over a thousand words.)

# An : I studied this problem, I lived with someone like this and I say that you are not prepared to go through this.

Reactions - Circumstances that bring back memories of the trauma may trigger physiological symptoms, including sweating, nausea, and tremors. Avoidance behavior - avoiding places, people, and activities that bring back painful memories. The person may also be unable to remember or talk about the event.

note: image is not mine

good reading!

As a consequence of having parents who neglected him for most of his life, he never received what we had (the love of his parents), the kind of love that a person needs, the kind of love that makes you feel safe and protected.

At the same time, parents play a fundamental role in their children's lives as guides, teaching them how to behave in society. Teaching values, such as treating their family well and being empathetic individuals.

Undoubtedly, when the most important person in your life is not present, do you feel lost? Or does your own mother sell her own fruit of love and care to a villain who is ready to torture you for money?

Perhaps most of his trauma came from his parents, having to fend for himself since childhood and becoming a delinquent. What would have happened to him if he had learned to steal and had never known Batman?.

The consequences of his past led to PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), and Jason urgently needed to escape that reality, where every second, the memories tormented him, making him feel again in his skin the pain of each stab, the force of each blow, each laugh, each mockery.

"Shut up, shut up," he cried out to his own inner demons, begging them to spare him from so much pain and misery that he heard and felt every night. his sobs were cut off in his throat, the poor sight of his mother selling him like he was something to be traded hurting more and more. "Please, no", her sobs cut through the night.

Today was the hardest day. You felt nothing but the cold, dark bed beside you. You run your hands over your face, tired, getting out of bed, knowing it could have been that day.

Getting out of bed, Catalina looks around the room.

"Jason." Her voice was soft, gentle as a feather; she needed this.

He was having another post-traumatic stress disorder episode, an anxiety attack.

His eyes trembled in front of all that scene; it seemed like he was going through mental torture. Huddled in a corner, you could observe his involuntary shakes.

Jason was huddled in a corner of the room, his legs pulled against his chest and his arms wrapped around himself. His head rested on his knees as involuntary shakes coursed through his body, as if he were fighting against inner demons.

His breathing was rapid and shallow, as if he were constantly holding his breath. His eyes were open, but they seemed to look through you, as if they were trapped in a personal nightmare.

You had no idea what to do, you were afraid to get closer and he would end up making things worse. You were afraid not to get closer and he would think you didn't love him anymore. But you knew one thing: you HAD to get him out of his panic state. How? You didn't know.

you had a mental map of how to act with him, Googling so you can help your boyfriend.

1. (Keep calm) : Your calmness can help the person feel more secure. Try to speak in a soft, encouraging tone of voice.

2. Provide a safe space : Ask him if he would like to move to a quieter or more comfortable place where he can feel safer..

3. ( Listen actively) : If the person wants to talk, listen without judging. Sometimes just having someone to vent to can be a huge relief.

5. (Use grounding techniques ): Help her reconnect with the present. You might suggest that she take deep breaths, count objects around her, or describe what she sees and hears.

6. ( Avoid pressing) : Don’t force the person to talk or face their emotions right away. Give them space and time to process what they’re feeling.

8. ( Take care of yourself ) : Dealing with someone in crisis can be emotionally draining. Don't forget to take care of your own mental health too.

Even knowing this, the care would still be more delicate when taken in action, you wouldn't be prepared for when Jason exploded, you have no idea what it's like to live with a person with this trauma.

but with patience and effort, damn, you did all that? you won Jason over, seeing that you were there to help him even when he was at his worst he would try to improve even though it wasn't his fault.

I believe Jason would cry on your shoulder when he spent this episode lamenting how much of a burden he was to you. But you would be patient, patient, and patient and explain everything to him again as many times as necessary to make it clear that it was your choice to be there with him, loving him and protecting him from his own nightmares.

#blu3n

The end.

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grifonecoronato · 3 days

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Mae-ho Aniseya: Film Noir Protagonist

(Spoilers for The Acolyte)

As I've said in another post, Mae and Osha are binary opposites in their personalities and motivations.

Mae has a kind of "first child syndrome": a desire to exhibit perfection in the eyes of her mothers, so that they can shower her with praise. She loves being in her community of witches, learning and using the Thread, and indulging in the daily activities of life on Brendok.

She thrives when she is surrounded by her people, but Osha doesn't want the same things, which is something that confuses Mae deeply.

In this scene from Episode 3: Destiny, the two sisters as children talk about what they want:

MAE: "It isn't fair. I share everything with you, and you hide things from me or run off alone." OSHA: "I want to have my own things." MAE: "Why?" OSHA: "Because I don't want to do everything together all the time." MAE: "But why?" OSHA: "Because we're not the same." [...] OSHA: "Don't you wonder what else could be out there? Besides Brendok?" MAE: "No. Everything I need is here."

For Osha, her arc in The Acolyte has all the trappings of a dark romance. But from Mae's perspective, she's the heroine of her own Film Noir.

Film Noir Themes in The Acolyte

Beyond its aesthetics, Film Noir has three (3) major thematic characteristics with regard to its protagonists:

Its protagonist has an idyllic past where they were happy and life was good;

Their idyllic past is ripped away from them, often violently, in a single moment that they relive again and again in the present;

The inciting incident is an opportunity to reclaim their idyllic past, or if that's impossible, to get justice for what was lost... because to do nothing is to be haunted by it forever.

For example, we can look at the seasonal arc of Veronica Mars (2004): she's a happy high schooler and best friends with Lily Kane, then Lily is murdered and Veronica is ostracised from her former friends, and now she is seeking opportunities to solve her friend's murder, while being haunted by the memories of her.

Or consider the video game Max Payne (1998): he's a cop with a happy wife and daughter, then his wife and daughter are murdered by drug addicts high on Compound V, now he joins the DEA in an effort to find and destroy the source of Compound V, and finally stop feeling haunted by the memories of his family.

Mae's story is very similar: she was a happy kid living with a family and community that gave her everything she wanted, then the Jedi came and massacred everyone she loved, and now she's joined up with a powerful ally who will teach her to get bloody justice.

Mae's Fatal Flaw

Mae's biggest problem is that she's impulsive and frequently enters situations without a clear plan. However, this bullheadedness shows that she trusts herself to get out of any situation she finds herself in.

(Qimir once said to Osha "you should learn to trust yourself", but I doubt this is a lesson he had to teach Mae.)

Detractors often say that Mae's motivations don't make sense, or that she's "flip flopping" all the time. But this criticism -- like most criticisms from the fandom menace -- is unfair. Mae's motivations are very clear, and her shifting tactics are done as a response to new information that comes her way.

In Episodes 1 and 2, her goal is two-fold:

Hunt down the four guilty Jedi

Keep The Stranger satisfied in her progress as his apprentice

But in Episode 4 and 5, after she learns that her sister lives, her goal changes to "reunite with Osha." But when Osha refuses to listen to her, Mae's slightly modifies her goal, to "find a way to de-program Osha from her Jedi brainwashing, by exposing Sol."

Viewers that understand what drives Mae see that not flaky; she's adaptive.

The Fatal Lesson of Film Noir

The thing about Film Noir protagonists is that most of the time (not always, but most of the time), their quest for reclaiming their idyllic past is a fool's errand: they either sacrifice a big part of themselves in the attempt, or they learn to heal form the past, let go, and move on.

Mae opts for the former. When she finally succeeds in revealing that Sol has been lying for sixteen years, Osha murders him. Afterward, Osha bargains for Mae's life, which the Stranger accepts but only if he be permitted to erase her memories.

So Mae recaptures her idyllic past by being able to reconnect with her sister... only to lose her sense of self in the process. The quest consumed her.

But was it worth it?

#star wars #the acolyte #osha aniseya #mae aniseya #writing #storytelling #spoilers #film noir #character analysis #Grown up Star Wars

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zaynes-nieve · 3 hours

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Zayne Confirmed Lore

Anything confirmed by the developers, including any accounts or information within the game! (I will update you as the game continues, and I appreciate any info I can get from you all as well!!!!)

Basic Info:

Zayne's Birthday is September 5th | About Him

Other Names: Rei (JP), Lee Seeoen (KR) and Li Shen (CN)

Zayne's Constellation sign is a Virgo (like me)| About Him

Zayne is 6'1 | About Him

Zayne's age is 27 | About Him

Zayne is the Chief Cardiac Surgeon at Akso Hospital | About Him

Zayne's evol is Ice | About Him

Daily Life:

Zayne is a workaholic and he likes it | Gentle Twilight/About Him

He is good at snowboarding! | Everlasting Snowdrop/About Him

He knows how to peel an apple in one go | Spring Remnants/About Him

He is good at drawing (those anatomical diagrams, ftw!!!) | Suprise Encounter/About Him

He has a sweet tooth (like me) | Nostalgic Sweetness/About Him

He gets toothaches (unlike me) | Nostalgic Sweetness/About Him

He is a terrible patient (Strict against others, indulgent to his own whims) | Nostalgic Sweetness/About Him

Zayne is a teetotaler (a person who never drinks alcohol) | Drunken Intimacy/About Him

He is good at pool but is a strict teacher | Exclusive Tutorial/About Him

His Parents are also Doctors and work with Doctors without Borders overseas | Eternal Attachment/About Him

He sends them a message on his birthday each year, telling them he is just fine! | Eternal Attachment/About Him

Zayne has a hard time controlling his Evol | Main Story 4-10/Never Ending Winter ch.4

Starcatcher Awardee (2046) | Main Story 4-5

Linde Award Winner (Year 2046) | Main Story 4-5

His patients all are obedient (terrified) of him | A Pure White Heart ch. 3

Dr. Zayne and Dawnbreaker see eachother in their dreams | Gonna be pulling from a lot of things so give me a moment for this one 😭 (Never Ending Winter Ch.1,Ch.2,Ch.4) (Ngl Dawnbreaker Might Need his own section....or Page)

His Past:

Zayne was one smart cookie and skipped several years! But because he was so young and his classmates were not. He had a hard time making friends | Delicacy/About Him

When he was in medical school, he visited a barbeque stall a lot | Delicacy/About Him

He has a good tolerance for pain😭and he gets injured a lot, leaving many scars | Medical Rescue/About Him

Dr. Zayne was in the 35th Cohort of the Skyhaven Medcial School in an PHD Program | Never Ending Winter ch.1

He was an intern under Dr. William (took him under his wing) | Never Ending Winter ch.1

It's implied he had to kill William after those black crystals seemed to be turning Dr.William into a Wanderer (Do we consider this confirmed enough?) | Never Ending Winter ch. 6

His Likes:

He really hates carrots!!! | A Frozen Promise/About Him

He visits medical museums to relax, or he will go look out at the river | Heart Within Reach/About Him

Our Story 💙❄️☃️

He gave us a little snow seal when we were children (we thought it was a snowball) | A Frozen Promise/About Him

After seeing our name on the volunteer list to the Frontlines. He follows us | Hidden Motive/Insta Acc.

He is our Primary Doctor!!! (we're not gonna talk about the ethics of this LMFAO) | Main Story 1-8/About Him

Zayne said he melted an "old" popsicle (our popsicles in this time) for us when we were kids | Nostalgic Sweetness/About Him

Our Grandmother left us a letter with Zayne and he seems to know more than he is letting on | Main Story 4-7 (I'll double check this one)

Dawnbreaker

(Work in Progress)

Pls look at Zayne's third annecdote, the newest five star (the free sept 30th one), The Birthday one and like the a million tumblr posts cause this likely won't be finished anytime soon

pls hit me up with any more information and where it's from!!

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ailendolin · 2 days

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Live Reaction to TRoP 2x06

I have a feeling there will be no Elrond in this episode and my inner Durin is already crying over it

but my boy Arondir is here so that is good

probably not for the orcs, though

yep, told you so. Don't mess with Arondir. The way he sheathed his sword at the end? Absolute badass

oh that's Eregion on the map. Let's see if Arondir will make it there since no one else ever seems to manage to

I don't suppose that's a good sign there's a (admittedly cute) mouse in the forge

oh Celebrimbor is deteriorating so quickly. I just want to give him a hug and yeet Annatar off that tower

is this the episode where he will throw the hammer at Annatar? Ngl I am looking forward to that

the gentle music when Annatar is pretending to be understanding is making me so emotional because Calebrimbor needs comfort so badly and Annatar knows exactly what chords to play to make him think he is getting it

oh Valar, he is so tired. Someone get him out of there and please let him rest. Fuck, this episode is going to break my heart, isn't it?

I am LOVING the elves in uniform! Look at them! The way the colours blend together on their armour is so pretty

Malendol my beloved! Please join Camnir, Vorohil and Rían in my little collection of favourite minor characters who we will probably never see again (or, Valar forbid, see getting killed off)

omg he is so pretty and his voice! Aaaaah!

(this has nothing to with the episode but I am already seeing myself shipping him with Camnir for no other reason than that I love them both. This is not good. I need to stop getting attached to one-off characters)

Mirdania, I'm sorry, but you are grating on my nerves a little here

I'm loving the foreboding music when Annatar takes her hand

did you see the banners in the background? I want one of them and am once again asking Amazon: where the merch?

ah it's time for the Adar & Galadriel dinner scene. I didn't watch the clip that was released but I know people were screaming about it so this is going to be interesting

lol I see Adar is pulling no punches here and calling Galadriel out on her obsession with Sauron immediately. Good for him. Elrond would like you

Sauron promised her an army? Gal, love, he wanted to make you his queen

"Children." Nooooo what? Adar only ever wanted to be a dad. I'm crying

but oh this is so clever of him when he says Sauron's lies which must be extinguished becuase one thing I've loved about the show's portrayal of Sauron in season 1 is that he didn't lie to Galadriel. She was the one who constantly put words in his mouth

yes let the exes unionise!

oh he's got the stabby crown!

"The fate of that city now rests on your ability to put aside your pride." Yep, Eregion is doomed

Elendil! Everyone's adopted dad's not having a good time right now

clever, Pharazon. But Elendil will never renounce Miriel

YES, I told you he wouldn't! Fuck you, Pharazon, that man loves his queen and will never serve you

Lol. "Snoring? Who's snoring?" Tom, I love you, but you are not good at giving pep talks

Poppy and Merimac :)

omg that's a long time to decide on a name. What were his parents thinking?

I repeat: Poppy and Merimac :) That kiss was so sweet

and look, Tom, Poppy is great at pep talks. That's how you do it

okay we're going staff finding. Is it ridiculous that for a moment I thought he might get his staff from the Stoor tree?

omg you're not throwing the Gandalf quote in there without warning, are you? My poor heart can't take all these emotions. It's such a beautiful quote and I guess this is one more argument in favour of the "The Stranger is Gandalf" theory?

Khazad-Dûm my beloved

look at all that gold. I'm getting Erebor flashbacks (flashforwards?) here, and not in a good way

Annatar, get the fuck away from Durin, I swear. Where the hell is Elrond? He would feed you to the Balrog in a heartbeat

"More precious?" Do not use that fucking word

oh, the answer is no? That's a surprise. I bet there's a catch

noooo, not the fucking Balrog in the flames. He's going to wake him up, I know it. Just look at his smug, little face

ah, there's the catch. Poor Durin

"No, you belong to it." Truer words have never been spoken

I see Durin is faring as well as Elrond when it comes to convincing loved ones that the rings are dangerous. They are truly besties even in that

oh no, he's crying. My heart. He's stuck in such an awful situation and I am so glad he and Disa are uniting over it instead of letting it drive them apart as well

those trumpets sound gorgeous

ah, Earien is beginning to learn that actions have consequences. Good. Her relationship to her father is so complicated. It feels as if they're always talking at each other, not to each other. And yet you can see how much they love each other in every painful interactions

Forehead touch! This is not a drill!

YES DISA! Show them! Oh I love her so much. Her secret weapon is bats! I wrote my PhD about bats and they have a very special place in my heart so go, Disa, I am rooting for you and your bats!

"I love you." The moment we were all Durin

of course MIriel is going to face judgement in Elendil's place. Those two love each other so much without ever saying those words and I'm so here for it

she is cradling his face. I can't

and have I mentioned how fucking brave she is? Imagine facing that sea monster and not even being able to see it coming?

damn but this is shot absolutely beautifully

please let her gain a new pet sea monster that is going to swallow Pharazon and Kemen for breakfast

fuck yes, "Hail Tar-Miriel, Queen of the Sea!"

i love the cracking reality effect of the Palantir

so Adar knows Elrond has Nenya now. That's going to have consequences, isn't it? Will he try to capture Elrond to get the ring so he can defeat Sauron?

okay, Adar came prepared. Good for him. Bad for Celebrimbor and Eregion

Glûg my beloved! I have missed you! Please don't get yourself killed in the siege

oh that call to war is epic

Malendol! Aaaaaah another glimpse of him! I am so smitten it's ridiculous

aaaaand the Siege of Eregion is on

aw no, don't destroy your sketches, Celebrimbor

omg Annatar is such a little shit. "How fares your progress?" That smile, I can't

ooooh fuck, Celebrimbor fighting back? Physically? YES!

oh no, it's a vision. This is so fucking cruel. Look how relieved he is that his people are well. This is also a reminder to us viewers how much life will be lost in the coming episodes. That this was a place of happiness, once

fuck, there's the hammer

and mithril ore? Are you kidding me?

the oath. And the thing is, he is right. It will be all about the rings

and there's that word again. Precious. It is haunting the narrative and I love that it is being used for all the rings because they are all, one way or another, a product of Sauron's mind

"Best Feanor himself." Celebrimbor, why don't you use that hammer and smack Sauron back to Mordor? Please?

and the illusion stops. The fact that Celebrimbor doesn't even know what time of day it is ... my heart hurts

also the fact that the last peaceful moment of Eregion we saw was a lie? That the last moment it gleamed in sunlight was nothing but a cruel trick?

*insert gif of Theoden* So it begins

the end credit music is making me sad. Who gave Bear McCreary the right?

seriously though, Charlie E deserves all the awards. His Celebrimbor is so heart-breakingly kind and so heart-breakingly flawed at the same time and I just want to wrap him up in a blanket and hug him

two more episodes. Valar give us strength for what is to come

#the rings of power #trop #trop spoilers #rings of power #rings of power spoilers #lin reacts

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mmogurl · 1 day

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In The Shadow of Dragons Chapter 4: Tastes Like Venom

18+ | 5k | Daemon Targaryen X Female OC | possessive, protective, objectifying, simping, raunchy Daemon | Uncle / niece incest, Smut, Dragons, Virgin, First Time Sex, Political Intrigue, Plotting, Murder, lots of old timey concepts that don't make a lot of sense today, but are still kind of hot/fun.

Things are about to get really saucy in this chapter! Not everyone is thrilled to hear the announcement of Ryna's courtship to Daemon. Ryna's POV this time.

CH 1 | CH 2 | CH 3 | CH 4 Also on AO3

He had actually done it. Daemon had somehow managed to convince her father to let them wed. Well, not to permit them to formally wed just yet, but rather to allow them to engage in courtship, which in turn would ideally lead to their eventual union. Ryna’s heart was soaring as she left her chambers, her stride long and determined as she walked the long and empty corridors towards the dining hall.

Ryna felt indomitable, maybe even a little cocky, as though nothing could stop her today. Not when she was armed with the knowledge that everything she had envisioned might actually come to pass. It seemed luck was on her side, and she would certainly seize the advantage and make the most of it.

The stone corridor opened up into a small flight of stairs, no more than six or seven steps in height. She held her skirts up slightly as she made her way down and took in this morning’s attendees. The entire family was not present, but many were, including her good-mother, Alicent, as well as her children: Aegon, Aeomond, and Helaena. Rhaenyra was also in attendance, but Laenor was nowhere to be seen, nor were their children. Perhaps, she had not felt like wrangling them on this particular morning.

Most importantly, her father was present, sitting at the high end of the table with Damon directly beside him at the corner. Daemon’s gaze darted to her as she entered the hall, his eyes taking in every detail with a smirk as though he were a calculating predator sizing up his prey. The seat next to him was empty and she had every intention of taking her place there.

“Good Morrow, family,” she said cheerfully as she walked down the length of the table.

Daemon stood to greet her as she approached and pulled out the chair next to him.

“Good Morrow, sweetling,” her uncle returned her greeting with a wolfish smile.

His eyes were practically devouring her whole, taking in every sway of her hips, his body practically thrumming in response to her proximity. She tried her best to ignore it for now, lest she make a fool of herself in front of everyone. Daemon dutifully pushed her chair in once she took a seat and sat down beside her.

“How fare you this morning, Daughter?” Viserys asked with a forced smile. His eyes were bloodshot and weary, a testament to the amount of wine he had imbibed the night before.

“I am well, Father. Thank you,” she said with a bright smile. Ryna had never been so pleased with her father before, not that she could remember at least. He’d given her a precious gift and she was ecstatic to have his permission in the future she wished to forge with Daemon. A part of her still wondered if it were actually true. She would wait and see like a good daughter without pushing to find out.

“Good, good,” Viserys replied, waving his hand in a dismissive manner that was all too obviously feigned. While he was clearly not having a good morning and his stomach was likely tied in knots, a hint of warmth crept into his features as he laid eyes on them both.

“I am pleased to make an announcement to my beloved family,” her father seemed to break through the fog in his mind and take on the characteristics of a wise and proud King. “My brother, Prince Daemon, has asked for my Ryna’s hand in marriage. I have agreed upon a courtship,” he stated clearly, looking directly at Ryna now. “Dear daughter, should you accept, we shall see if Daemon’s devotion to you is true.”

A murmur broke out amongst those in attendance, clearly having not expected such an announcement at the morning meal. Aegon seemed almost indignant as he shared a glance with his mother, who in turn looked as though she’d been stabbed in the back by an unseen blade. Her mouth was moving as though to speak, but no words ever came out.

Best of all, was Rhaenyra’s transition from curious to annoyed and it took all that Ryna could muster not to wallow in an expression of smug satisfaction. For her eldest sister had always been the favored child, getting away with whatever she desired and also taking whomever she coveted to warm her bed at night.

Daemon placed a hand on Ryna’s forearm, smiling approvingly as he gave her a gentle squeeze. She looked up at him with a cheerful grin, her hand finding his and returning the gesture. Then she looked to her father, the King, holding her shoulders upright and swelling with poise and refinement.

“I should very much like to accept the prince’s proposal for courtship, Father,” she replied with all of the courtly grace one might expect of a princess.

“You mean your uncle’s proposal,” Aegon mocked with a dismissive tone, no doubt trying to rile her up.

“It is no better than marrying my brother,” she shot him a sharp glance across the table. Ryna had already heard tale of Alicent’s designs to wed them. It had bled through by way of the servants, especially given her coarse sibling’s inability to keep quiet about any private matter. Aegon rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to his mother, who looked none too delighted by the display. With a thin lipped curl of her lips, the King’s wife finally spoke, opting to take the course of civility.

“Well, I suppose we should all offer our congratulations then…” she said, her voice neutral and formal. “Thank you, Good-mother,” Ryna replied with a veiled smile that was much more believable.

The Queen gave a stiff nod in response, her eyes flickering over to Daemon with a hint of displeasure, before she returned her attention to her meal. Rhaenyra on the other hand, was still staring at the pair of them. Her eyes were narrowed slightly as they flicked back and forth as if trying to figured out some complex puzzle box.

Daemon had not let her hand go as the entire scene unfolded, chuckling softly as he made a show of rubbing circles on her fair skin with his thumb in a manner that seemed almost too affectionate. She could tell he was having a little bit of fun and she couldn’t exactly blame him. His gaze drifted to the King and he grinned contentedly. “Thank you, brother,” Daemon said with a nod in acknowledgment of the newly formed courtship. “I promise to honor your daughter as well as treat her with all the care and respect she deserves.”

“I’ll hold you to that, Brother,” her father replied with a well meaning smirk.

“As will the whores on the Street of Silk!” Aegon chimed in once more, his eyes glancing between the two with barely contained anticipation for the reception of his mocking words.

“Enough, Aegon,” the King snapped, his own eyes darkening at his son. “Can you not even be happy for your sister on this day?”

The young man sat back in his chair with a huff, crossing his arms like a petulant child, but did not speak up again.

The mood of the room shifted with that, heavy with suspicion and resignation. For it was clear to all present that the courtship would move forward and that there was naught to be done about it, at least not yet. Ryna had no doubt that they would all be scheming soon enough and watching her and Daemon likes hawks. Still, it vexed her that even her family’s pretense of congratulation was not sincere at all, aside from her father at least. “Why does everyone seem so somber? It is a favorable match, is it not?” There was a slight twinge of irritation in Ryna’s voice. She was a Targaryen princess and she deserved more respect than this, but as usual, she was treated as insignificant even when marrying the rightful heir to the throne. Alicent’s expression was neutral, a polite mask now hiding her disagreement. “Of course it is…” she replied. “You are both of Valyrian blood. It is a powerful union.” Her tone was carefully controlled, but Ryna could still sense a hint of bitter resentment. While Rhaenyra still kept her silence, her father was the only one besides the young children who seemed to be unbothered. His expression was thoughtful as he took another sip of his cup. He looked at the newly matched couple, his eyes lingering on where Daemon held her hand. “I must admit,” he said finally, his voice quiet but commanding attention regardless. “I had my reservations about this match at first… But I can see that you are both are committed to each other. As long as you both are sure that this is what you want. Then I will not stand in your way. The two of you will have my blessing given you conduct yourselves with decorum.” “Of course we are sure,” Daemon answered for the both of them. He glanced at her with a reassuring little smile before turning his attention back to the king.

Father’s next words were spoken in a low tone, compelling the silence of the room. “A union as powerful as this would be well served with heirs as soon as possible. Once you wed, of course.”

“You need not worry about that, dear brother,” Daemon chuckled, trying to hide his devious nature as he looked back to Ryna once more. “When the time comes, I intend to take full advantage of every available opportunity.”

A disgusted scoff came from the far end of the table and Ryna’s gaze snapped to the left. She had thought it to be Aegon voicing his discontent, but was not entirely surprised to see a dark expression upon Rhaenyra’s face, her eyes full of malice as she stared quite brazenly at their uncle.

Daemon turned his attention to her elder sister, a small smirk tugging up at the corner of his mouth. He was clearly enjoying this, perhaps a little too much. But, Ryna could feel nothing but a building fury that Rhaenyra could be so petty as to hold onto what amounted to a crush. An infatuation that had ended five years ago when Daemon had been sent away. She found it more difficult to contain her mounting anger as the seconds passed.

“And what of you, Sister?” she asked pointedly, drawing Rhaenyra’s attention away from her intended. “Have you nothing to say? No congratulatory words to encourage this union?”

A flicker of annoyance passed over Rhaenyra’s face as she was addressed. She paused for a moment, as though carefully considering her words before speaking.

“What would you like me to say, Sister?” she replied, her tone attempting to be measured and controlled, but failing miserably. “That I am happy for you? That I am not jealous of your… good fortune?”

The nerve of her to openly admit that she was jealous almost elicited a scowl from Ryna. Instead, she snapped back keeping her voice pleasantly civil and obtuse.

“You are married to Ser Laenor and have three beautiful children sired by him. What more good fortune do you need?” The words were meant to cut, while putting on an air of indifference. Save for her father, who was willfully ignorant of the fact, it was quite obvious to most that Rhaenyra’s children were bastards.

Rhaenyra’s eyes narrowed at her comment, a flicker of outrage passing across her features. It was obvious she grasped the intention of Ryna’s subtle insult. “Yes, I am married to a great man and he has gifted me three wonderful sons,” she replied through gritted teeth. “But that does not negate my own desires and ambitions.”

“And what of your desires, Sister? How should they interfere with my wedding Daemon?” she looked at her uncle for a moment, curious to see if he shared any signs of Rhaenyra’s lingering affections. Daemon wore a bemused expression, clearly enjoying the family drama. “Yes, let us hear what desires you hold, Rhaenyra,” he prompted with a sly smirk, leaning back into his chair in a languid manner that almost seemed theatrical.

Rhaenyra’s lips pressed together in an indignant sneer as her eyes passed between Daemon and Ryna. She was growing more agitated with the situation, but she kept her voice mostly even as she spoke. “It is my desire for you to find a better match, dear sister,” she said coldly. “A union between the two of you would be ill fated.”

Ryna let out a pointed laugh and replied without hesitation. “Are you questioning the King’s judgment?” she fumed at Rhaenyra before turning her attention to her father. “Is it not preposterous, Father? How much good fortune does your first daughter need, when your second daughter has had none?”

Viserys let out a long suffering sigh, his expression growing weary at the turn the conversation had taken. “My daughters…” he began, shaking his head as he tried to maintain order. “Must we do this now?”

“She could at least pretend to be happy for me,” Ryna insisted, her eyes glaring back to Rhaenyra, her rage barely contained now. “Is that so much to ask for?”

Rhaenyra met her gaze with equal fervor, her eyes narrowing. “Is it so much to ask that you not flaunt your happiness in my face!?” she quipped back, her voice dripping with venom.

“Ready yourself, Sister. For I shall soon be flaunting it for the rest of my days!” The dam had broken and every bit of cordial composure had been washed away with the floodwaters.

Her eldest sister’s face contorted with anger and jealousy. It must have been difficult to acknowledge the gladness of others while she suffered a husband who would not bed her. Ryna could not help but grin with satisfaction, watching her sister squirm at the realization that the invincible Rhaenyra had finally been one-upped. The feeling did not last long as the cornered snake bit back once more.

“You will not be happy forever,” Rhaenyra retorted through clenched teeth. “Nothing lasts forever… Not even your relationship with our dear uncle. One day, he will tire of you and move on to the next shiny new toy.”

Ryna scoffed, unable to believe that her sister would sink so low. Rhaenyra had no idea what she was talking about, of course, and was simply holding onto the childish impressions she’d formed as an infatuated young girl. She was not prepared for what the first princess said next though.

Clearly enjoying her reaction, Rhaenyra met Ryna’s sound of derision with a smug grin. “You think you know him so well, don’t you? You think he truly cares for you?” she sneered, her voice heavy with condescension. “He will tire of your innocent doe eyes and your sweet voice… He will grow bored of the way you cling to him like a lost puppy…”

Her smirk intensified as she continued to hammer her banner into the ground. “He will long for a challenge, for someone who can match his fire and passion. Someone who is not so desperate. Someone who can intrigue him and keep him guessing.” She paused for a moment, her eyes flicking over to Daemon as though appealing directly to him for her own cause.

“He will realize that you are simply too ordinary for him.. Too dull.. And he will move on to someone more interesting, more exciting. Someone who’s blood runs strong of Old Valyria.”

Something snapped within her and it felt as though years of neglect and bitterness came pouring through all at once. A lifetime of being overlooked and treated like an inconsequential child by her kin, had built up into a rage that she now found difficult to control.

She clenched her jaw firmly as she practically growled back. “How dare you…” she muttered through her teeth.

Rhaenyra smiled, content with herself for getting such a reaction out of her younger sister. “It is the truth,” she added simply, as though explaining something very mundane. “And deep down, I think you know it.” The heir to the throne shifted her gaze onto Daemon again, her eyes lingering on him for a moment as she tried to entreat him. “Don’t you, Uncle?”

Daemon feigned indifference as he glanced over at Rhaenyra before returning his eyes to Ryna, his smirk never wavering.

“I am curious, Rhaenyra,” he mused with mocking thoughtfulness. “From what great well of knowledge do you draw your conclusions from?”

“I know you better than most, Uncle,” she responded, a hint of annoyance in her voice. “You are impatient and impulsive. A man who craves adrenaline, and yet you seek to marry my sister, who is as still and calm as a pond?” She huffed derisively. “You will tire of her quickly. Just watch.”

Ryna stood up abruptly, her fists white knuckled and holding against the table. “Still? Calm? Too dull? Do you wish to spit venom, sister? What is more dull than a commoner?” Her eyes were a fiery blaze as she stared down the table at Rhaenyra, her gaze then shifted to Ser Criston Cole who stood guard at the side of the room.

“You keep your mouth shut, you little wench!” Rhaenyra snapped in a furious whisper. “You know nothing!”

It was clear that this argument was no longer about her wedding Daemon or Rhaenyra’s jealousy of it. Ryna was finally unleashing all of her disappointment and anger from years of watching the first-born child be showered with attention and praise while she received naught but crumbs. Rhaenyra, who dared insult her desirability to her future husband in public, while she had been spreading her legs to unworthy men, and insulting their very lineage.

But, the murmurs of those in the room brought her back to reality and one glance at her father made her worry that perhaps she had taken it too far. He never did like it when anyone spoke of his eldest daughter in a negative light, even if it was true.

“That is enough!” Viserys’ voice resounded loudly, causing all at the table to stiffen, besides Daemon who still seemed relaxed as though conflict did not bother him in the slightest. “Both of you will cease your quarreling immediately!” He looked towards Rhaenyra, his eyes narrowed. “You will comport yourself like an heir to the Iron Throne, and not some child in need of a spanking.”

He then fixed his gaze on Ryna, his expression stern. “You too, dear. Just because your sister foolishly goaded you, does not give you leave to do the same.” He sighed before continuing in a more exhausted tone. “Can we not have a single family meal that does not end in bickering?”

The King shifted in his seat, looking between his daughters. “We will not discuss this matter any further. The decision is made. Daemon shall court Ryna. That is the end of it.”

Ryna sat back in her seat and bowed her head in deference towards her father. “I’m most ashamed, Father. My humblest apologies.”

Father’s gaze softened with her contrition, but his voice was still firm. “You would do well to remember whom you are, Ryna.” He said, his voice gravely serious. “You are a princess of House Targaryen, both of you,” he shot Rhaenyra a look as he spoke. “Your actions reflect upon the honor of our family… You must act with decency and dignity at all times.”

His eyes fell upon his second daughter once more, a slight lenience added to his tone. “All of us must strive to be our best, and to be more than our baser emotions. We are a family, and we must not forget that.”

“Yes, Father,” Ryna replied, falling back into what was expected of her. “I shall endeavor even harder to ensure you are not disappointed in me.” Rhaenyra remained silent on the matter, only offering a slight nod in repentance.

Daemon sat silently, his fingers idly drumming against the tabletop as he watched the interaction unfold. His eyes flicked to Rhaenyra a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. It was as though he had an opinion on her behavior, but he decided to keep it to himself.

He leaned forward in his seat, taking Ryna’s hand in his again with a sly grin dancing upon his lips as he chimed in to fill the quiet. “Ah, but what’s family without a bit of drama to keep the blood pumping?” he drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Upon finishing, Daemon lifted her hand up to his mouth and pressed a gentle kiss against the backside of her knuckle.

Ryna’s cheeks burned slightly as he pressed his lips against her skin, causing her heart to stir. His affections somehow diffusing her anger, despite the insults Rhaenyra had hurled at her. In the end, it did not matter what her sister had said, for Ryna was the one who was now in line to wed Daemon. She felt nothing but victorious at her uncle’s show of affection coupled with the adoring way he gazed at her, all while Rhaenyra was forced to watch. She forced herself to remain composed on the surface, not allowing her facade to fall once more.

The queen spoke up then, her smile polite, but her tone somewhat chiding. “It does seem that trouble always follows when you are around, Prince Daemon,” she said with a small laugh, an attempt to keep her jab sounding light hearted.

His eyes slid over to Alicent and he chuckled mirthfully, squeezing Ryna’s hand once more before relinquishing it. “Ah, my dearest good-sister,” he said smugly, his sarcastic tone only growing in its intensity. “You make it sound as though I am a mere trouble-maker, an instigator of discord.” He paused for a moment, a devious gleam in his eyes. “Though I have been the most well behaved Targaryen at the table this morning.”

The irony was not lost on anyone in the room, even if Ryna could not help but crack a smile. She was just thankful that Aegon and his mother had not joined the argument she’d had with Rhaenyra, for it was none of their business. Her father looked mildly annoyed with his younger brother for a moment, but he said nothing on the matter opting instead to change the subject.

“Ryna, my dear,” the King looked her way inquisitively, then glanced to Daemon. “I assume with my brother’s eagerness, that the two of you shall be planning your first courtship date soon?”

She smiled, feeling a little embarrassed at the direct questioning, but responding with her thoughts regardless, “I have not had much time to consider it, Father. What does one do on a such an outing?”

Daemon spoke next, his demeanor cool and confident. “There are many possibilities, sweetling,” he replied with a grin. “Perhaps a romantic dinner, a ride on dragonback, or a walk through the Godswood at sunset. There’s more than one path to success, and none of them is inherently wrong.”

“All options sound delightful, Uncle…” she answered softly. “How am I to choose?”

His grin widened at her response. “That’s the spirit, my dear princess,” he said with a low chuckle. “There’s no need to limit ourselves to just one activity. We shall engage in all of these pursuits, and more.”

The idea of spending time alone with Daemon in all of these various encounters made her heart flutter in her chest. She was both nervous and excited for what might happen, wondering if he would behave himself or let his carnal appetites get the best of him. Still, it was thrilling to have her much older, much more experienced uncle show her all of the things he had to offer. The possibilities where practically endless where he was involved.

“That sounds like a wonderful plan, Uncle,” she said, her voice filled with enthusiasm for the first time since Father had given his permission for their courtship to begin. “I look forward to whatever you have in store for me.”

Viserys watched the interaction between his daughter and Daemon intently, a slight grin on his face. He was clearly pleased with the interest her uncle was showing in the relationship.

“It seems you have developed a sudden fondness for courtship, Brother,” the King laughed softly, his eyes fixed on the prince. “I cannot pretend I am not surprised by this.”

Daemon shrugged off his brother’s comment with a grin. “What can I say? Your daughter is the kind of beauty that can awaken the romantic in any man,” he said, his eyes flickering towards Ryna as he spoke. He turned back to Viserys with a confident look. “Besides, you cannot expect me to pass up the opportunity to have such a lovely girl on my arm.”

Viserys laughed sharply at his words. “I suppose I cannot blame you, brother,” he said, his voice taking on a somewhat paternal tone. “But do refrain from any… untoward behavior.”

As Daemon replied with his usual charms, Ryna basked in his compliment feeling an unusual mixture of pride and embarrassment. She had never in her wildest dreams thought that she would be the one to capture Daemon’s interest. She was used to being the second daughter, second choice, the less interesting of the two by most accounts. Now, she was the one with a handsome man doting over her, and in front of her entire family no less. It was a validation she had seldom felt in her life.

She stole a peek at Rhaenyra who was still visibly upset, her resentment plain for all to see. It only added to Ryna’s satisfaction. Daemon turned back to Ryna, his gaze lingering on her a beat longer than necessary. He leaned over to her closely, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear, his fingers brushing the sensitive skin of her neck as he did so. He whispered so low that she doubted any but her could hear it, “Ignore her, my dear sweetling. Let her stew in her envy.”

Ryna nodded, feeling a shiver run down her spine as a result of his hot breath against the shell of her ear. Her uncle was right after all, for all Rhaenyra could do now was wallow in her covetous desires. Well, that and try to plot the downfall of their union, but her eldest sister would need some time to consider her options first.

His attention shifted to his brother once more and Daemon’s demeanor became more cordial. “If I may, your Grace. I’d like to take my lady for a walk to discuss the details of our courtship.” His voice was smooth and assuming, not asking for permission, but acting as though it were a foregone conclusion.

The King eyed his brother and then his daughter before finally nodding his approval. “Very well, you have my leave.”

With a polite nod to his brother and good-sister, Daemon stood from the table, pulling Ryna’s chair out and offering his hand to her. She took it and marveled at the way he laced his fingers in hers as she rose up beside him.

“Good day, Viserys,” he said in a well-meaning tone before switching to one of playful mockery. “Thank you for the lovely meal.” The king groaned, shaking his head with exasperation. “I would not have called it lovely, brother, but you are welcome.”

Daemon smirked at the King and then turned to the rest of the table, offering a slight bow of his head. “And Good Day to the rest of you.”

“Yes, Good Day to you all and once again… Thank you very much, Father, for agreeing to this courtship,” she bowed her head low and rose with a smile.

With farewells and thanks accounted for, Daemon offered her his arm which she gladly took.

“Come, sweetling,” he said in a low tone as he pulled Ryna in the direction of the double doors that led out towards the gardens. “We have much to discuss.”

#daemon targaryen x oc #daemon targaryen fanfic #daemon targaryen #house of the dragon #daemon targeryan #hotd daemon #fanfic #hotd #a song of ice and fire #daemon targaryen smut #hotd fanfic #daemon smut #daemon fic #asoiaf #shadow of the dragon #mgurl #in the shadow of dragons #itsod

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etherealily · 11 hours

Text

guilt // f.odair

[1/3] Long. this was queued, idk if I've already promised another character before this is out.

Finnick Odair + fem!reader. Warnings : Cuss words, SFW but discretion advised, mature themes.

Desc. : But is it in his nature?

You do NOT have permission to repost and/or translate any of my fics.

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'Suck on his sellout cock, go ahead', your mind taunts you as you traipse behind him into the Victor's Village, a place where you simultaneously hoped you'd live and you'd never step into again.

See, Finnick had always dominated your childhood.

You grew up watching him charm the nation, be welcomed back to the District like he was God.

One of your biggest flexes was that you got to see him in person in a parade once, when he'd come back from one of his many Capitol visits.

However. That all changed once you became fifteen. Because you'd finally got some fucking sense and realized that the people at the Capitol, the Hunger Games, none of it was fair, it was all fucking shit.

And you hated Finnick all the more for it.

Prancing around, doing promotions, adverts, sending children to die, being the Capitol's bitch. You'd narrowly escaped your last chance to be reaped, but you still wished he'd choke on his ridiculously expensive Capitol meal.

You couldn't respect him.

But. But, it wasn't like you'd ever tell him that, though. Because when Finnick Odair talks to you, you fucking talk back.

And when he tells you he wants you to come back home with him after seeing you by the ocean one night, you go, no matter how much you'd rather fucking kill yourself.

"This is my house.", he smiles, and waits expectantly, as if you're supposed to applaud.

"It's nice."

He doesn't look disappointed or surprised at that. In fact, he seems mildly entertained. "Get in."

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"And then, maybe, just bring your hand up the side of your leg? Yeah, yeah, just like that. Okay, yeah, sweetheart, that's it."

Click.

"And this is for..."

"Modelling."

"For the Capitol?"

"Who else?"

You raise a brow, your mind immediately picturing some rhinestone encrusted Capitol asshole getting off to a picture of you. You shudder.

"I'm joking. It's for me."

"For you?"

"Feel free to look around.", he says, offhandedly, as he looks through the camera at all the pictures he'd just clicked of you. "Maybe something will catch your fancy."

"You brought me here to... take pictures of me and... let me take whatever I want from your house?"

"I'm a weirdo, sweetheart."

"What will you do with the pictures?"

"I dunno. Can't publish them anywhere. I guess I'll just use them.", he mutters, more to himself than you, but you catch it. He looks up and then clarifies, "To improve my photography skills."

Thank fuck.

"Why me?"

"You're a good subject."

Your fingers move almost fluidly past various things, bottles of expensive liquor, watches, jewellery that he probably stole from his long list of Capitol lovers, and a single, slightly pathetic looking conch.

"I'm a subject? Like... math?"

He snorts. It's condescending, he's aware - there's no way you'd know. You've never been out of the District.

"It's photography lingo. A subject is who you're taking photos of. You have the correct facial structure for my lighting to illuminate you how I want it to. Hence, you're a good subject."

"Oh."

He continues flicking through photos and adjusting the background, taking a few trial shots with the result of his tinkering, until he seems to notice that you haven't spoken in a while. "You like the conch?"

"It's pretty."

"So are you."

You fight the urge to roll your eyes. Ugh. There he goes again, back to Finnick Odair, Capitol man-whore instead of Finnick, photo geek.

You turn to him. "How much did it cost? Twice the wine?"

"I didn't buy it. I found it, back when I was eleven."

"You've had it for almost a decade?"

He licks his lips, his hands pausing their scrolling of the camera's gallery for a moment. "I guess it has been a decade."

"What was it like, though? When you won?"

"Won? Won what?"

"The Games."

"Oh. Uh... bittersweet."

"Bitter? Why would it be bitter?"

"You ask a lot of questions. Sit down."

You know the truth. He just didn't want to admit that there was nothing bitter going on. He won because he was hot, and now, he continued reaping the benefits of his genetic lottery win.

You sit, still looking up at him as he comes to kneel in front of you, turning his camera to you. "What do you think?"

The pictures he's taken of you have an unsettling ethereality to them. In one, you're looking out the window with your back to the camera, your outfit hidden by a rose he'd apparently been holding in front of the camera.

A white rose.

It featured in every fucking picture, so much so that you almost asked him about it. Key word : almost.

In one of the more lighthearted ones, the rose sat in your mouth.

"They're pretty nice."

"Is your vocabulary limited to those two words? Pretty. Nice."

"I don't know what else to say."

He regards your face for a moment - like, really fucking observes you - before fiddling with some knob on the camera. "Take off your clothes."

That shouldn't have surprised you as much as it did.

"What?"

He looks up, confused. "Take off your clothes and I'll take some pictures."

"What? No."

"You don't want to? But you were okay with all the previous pictures."

"Yeah, because I was clothed."

"Being unclothed is a problem for you? Being exposed? Hm? That bothers you?"

What?!

"I- look, man, I'm not trying to offend you."

"But you are. You said you'd let me take photos of you. You are not your clothes, are you? You are your self, your soul, your body."

"Yeah, but I'm just not comfortable."

'Y'know what, sweetheart, people do shit they're not comfortable with all the fucking time. Twenty-five/eight. If you can't deal with it, you're weak. Take. It. Off."

You had a feeling there was another reason he was so angry about your non-compliance, but you didn't push it.

"Please don't make me do this."

"Fine! FUCK! Am I asking you to suck my cock? Huh? I could, y'know that? I could've, but no, I asked you to help me make art, and you chickened out!", he yells, his finger scarily close to poking your eye.

Finnick Odair was no longer pissing you off.

Finnick Odair was genuinely scaring you.

"Just get out.", he mutters, setting his camera down in defeat on his couch. "Get out, seriously."

You don't even have two seconds of backing-away-time before he stops you again. "What if I killed your family?"

That scares you more. "What?"

"What if I killed your family? Or at least, threatened to? Would you do it? Would you?", he asks, and now, he's not angry at you, or frustrated, he's more desperate, frantic, as if your answer would shake his fucking world.

As if your answer would change his self perception.

"Please don't kill my family."

"Would you suck my cock if I threatened to kill your family, Y/N?!"

"YES!", you scream, flinching, almost. "Yes! I would, but please, PLEASE don't!"

Finnick Odair gazes back at you with relief, and you want to strangle him. "You would, wouldn't you? You'd do unspeakable things for your family, yes?"

Well, of course.

"Things that would make your skin crawl. Not just because you love them, but because you're responsible for them. Because you got yourself into this mess."

He's no longer talking to or about you, that much is clear.

"And it's up to you to keep them away from it."

Slowly backing away, you try your hardest not to show up in his peripheral, to make sure he stays in whatever zone he's in.

But he is Finnick Odair. So he doesn't even look up at you as he instructs you. "Don't take the conch." Like stealing from him was the first thing on your mind.

"Wasn't planning to."

"Don't tell anyone about today."

"Wasn't planning to."

"Stay."

Wasn't planning to.

"I'm sorry, Y/N. Please. Stay."

The apology only solidifies your urge to stab him in the gut. "I have to get home."

"I didn't mean stay the night. I don't want you staying the night."

Finnick Odair, as you had begun to gather, was debilitatingly honest.

"I just mean stay for a while. Have dinner and then go."

"Dinner?"

"Yes, dinner. I have turkey from the Capitol."

"What's that?"

"It's a kind of bird. It's just like chicken but better."

"What's chicken?"

"Another kind of bird."

"Oh."

He frowns at you for a moment. "You're not okay with eating birds, are you?"

"They're just... very rare, so I don't see why you have to kill them."

He sighs, looking around the room in deep thought. "I could make fish. You know fish. You like fish."

You do know fish. You do like fish. You nod.

~~~~

Finnick's fish is unlike any you've ever fucking eaten.

Living in District 4, you'd figured you'd had fish every way it could be cooked. But no.

You can't help but take more. And more. And more. You weren't hungry, and momentarily felt guilt, thinking about kids in the other districts who were, but it was divine and you couldn't bring yourself to care much.

"You like that?", he asks, from opposite you, raising a brow in amusement.

"It's really fucking good."

He whistles lowly. "Ooh, nice, vocabulary expansion. So you do cuss. I was afraid I'd corrupted you with my rough Capitol language.", he muses, looking at your plate. "You have room for dessert?"

"Doesn't everyone, always?"

He nods. "That's fair. Cake?"

CAKE? This Capitol whore managed to bring cake back to District 4?

"Sure."

That was divine, too.

"You like that, too?"

"Yeah. It's really good. The Capitol has it really good."

"The Capitol is filled with cunts who throw up food because they want to taste more."

Was that... disdain? Interesting.

"Well, seeing as you spend most of the year there, I just thought..."

He stands, clearing the plates. "What? That I was one of them?"

You watch him go into the kitchen, taking a sip of water as you do. "No, just that... no, yeah, I did."

"It's okay, I get that a lot. I just... I gotta go, do these promotions, adverts. I have to. I made a deal."

You sigh, standing and pushing the dining table chair back to its original position. "Contract?"

He clenches his jaw momentarily, before nodding, his shoulders tense. "Yeah. Sm'n like that.", he grins, his dimples emerging once more. Thirteen year old you would have swooned and fainted and died.

Eighteen year old you just lets him lead you to the door.

"I'm leaving for the Capitol tomorrow. Along with the tributes from this year."

Why he's telling you this, you have no clue.

"You should come and wave me off."

"Do we know each other well enough for that?"

"No, but I know you know the tributes well. One of them goes to school with you, doesn't she?"

Yes. Little Faye.

"Yes, she's in the eighth grade. I used to tutor her."

The reality hits. She will probably never be able to high-five you when she gets a question right again.

"You should give her courage.", he suggests. "Going in thinking you're going to die will get you killed. Let her know she can make it."

"Can she?", you ask, quietly. The answer will ruin you, you can tell.

"She's a Career."

"Yes, but can she?"

"Chances are slim." Finnick fucking Odair. Finnick "debilitatingly honest" fucking Odair. "I won't tell her that, though."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Finnick."

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His hands grip your chin and you swear you're about to kill him. You look up at him, hanging out the open door of the train carriage and holding onto you, and you're half tempted to pull him down with you because what the fuck was he doing?

You can feel it coming, the urge to slap him away, but then again, it's still Finnick FUCKING Odair, and you're not sure if there's a law against rejecting his advances.

So you just kind of let him kiss you. It's not bad, no, far from it, it's just... unexpected.

Considering it's in front of every camera in the district.

Considering you'd only known each other one night.

Considering his last words were 'you're the only thing I care about.'

Considering he said your full name an unsettling amount of times.

Considering little Faye was watching and wondering why you were calm enough to be making out with some hot guy instead of sending her off.

Considering now the entirety of Panem was either going gush at you or rush at you.

~~~~

You can't bring yourself to watch the news.

Everyone assumes it's because of Finnick.

But, ironically, Finnick's the only one who knows it's not.

It's because of Faye.

"Finnick's on TV.", you're informed at least twice an hour.

"'Kay.", is your usual response. "Faye?"

"I'm sure Finnick trained her well. And besides, the 11th is this weekend! You'll find out."

Right. You'd been invited by Snow him-fucking-self to the Capitol. Apparently, the cameras outside your house weren't enough. He needed you there, with Finnick, for promos. While children were dying.

You receive gifts from your family, your neighbours, your teachers - basically anyone you'd breathed around - for your journey to the Capitol, as if you're going to some dreamland.

As you ride the train, your head against the seat, you try to imagine this is the train that leads you out of District 4. Your family will be waiting at the destination - in your head, an actual dreamland - and you'll be fine and dandy.

As you're escorted out, you imagine you're hanging from the ceiling in full display on the TV instead of Faye having to go through the Games.

And as you're directed to Finnick's room, you imagine slitting his throat. It's funny. You almost laugh. Then, the door opens.

Dimples.

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"How is it you've never worn lip tint before?", he mutters, tutting as if you'd just misspelled a basic word. "C'mon, pucker up.", he instructs, his thumb smearing red on your lips.

You have no idea what you look like and you're not sure if you want to find out. "I thought you were a merchant."

You shake your head. "No, I said I live by the merchant sector of 4."

"Not in it?"

"Of course not. Why would I have been picking seashells to make necklaces out of if I were a merchant? I just sell shit in the marketplace. Doesn't make me a merchant."

"I mean, technically... yeah, it does.", he says, his thumb accidentally slipping and smudging your makeup over the left of your cheek.

"Right, well, I'm not merchant class.', you shrug, trying to wipe the results of idiocy that was Finnick Odair off the side of your cheek.

Finnick... seems to get it. He nods along as he continues trying to de-plague your face with makeup.

Guilt is etched on his face. Regret, a tiny bit. Sadness, festering throughout.

"What's that look?"

He doesn't seem like he's out of whatever thought he was in moments ago when he hums in response, before quickly leaping towards his bedside and taking his camera, holding his thumb next to your bottom lip, with your still messy lip tint just about seen. Click.

"What's that look?", you repeat.

"What look?"

"That one.", you say, pointing to his face as if he can see it.

"That's my sorry look. I shouldn't have sprung the kiss on you. It was a dick move.", he says, gently moving behind you and guiding your shoulders to manoeuver you to face the mirror.

He says it as if he already knows you'll forgive him.

Yes, you do. But it irks you that he seems to assume that.

"Yes, it was."

"I'm sorry. What do you think?"

"I look like the 12 escort."

"Trinket? No, no way. You look great.", he assures, and you try to believe him, but you haven't seen yourself in makeup before and it doesn't look as though it's you standing there.

"Beautiful.", he says, as an afterthought, almost, as if he were trying out the word to see if it sounded right or not. He seems to decide on the former. "Beautiful.", he repeats, nodding.

That gets your attention and you take a second glance, and suddenly, you see what he sees. The makeup isn't subtle and hidden, but it isn't what the Capitol wears. It's... pleasant.

He brushes some hair in front of your shoulders. "See? Beautiful.", he reiterates, like he can't get enough of that word now.

"You sure I'll fit in here like this? Like... dressed up?"

"Yeah.", he says, vehemently nodding before doing that thing when he looked in your eyes again. "Well, mostly. I mean, I'd prefer it if you had the easiest time possible, 'cause I kinda got you into this mess."

You nod. That checks out. "Thanks."

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The night sees you staring at the ceiling while Finnick breathes softly in sleep beside you. It's pleasant. Domestic, almost. Like what Finnick wants, you think. Like the Capitol believes, you know.

He shifts and your eyes snap shut. Why you're so afraid of him finding out that you are awake, you don't know, but you are. He reaches out, his knuckles grazing your cheek with enough purpose that you realize he wasn't asleep in the first place, either.

And then he does it.

His hand reaches out, gently feeling around for your hand, before he grips the middle three fingers on your left.

He squeezes them softly, then brings them to his chest, where his own hand lays. That's it.

You watch him actually sleep until he mumbles, shifting again. 'Y/N?"

"Yeah?", you respond immediately, kicking yourself internally. Cover blown.

"Can't sleep?"

"No."

"Scared?"

"Mhm."

"Of the photos we took today? I promise, the makeup isn't bad, and you won't have to take any more - they'll publish them and pass them off as taken over a few months, so it's not-"

"No, for Faye."

Silence. "Oh."

"I feel like I didn't get to even tell her how well she's going to do."

"You can see her."

You can what?

"When?"

"Well, not in person, but we can watch the live feed of the Gam-"

"Yes. Yes, please, thank you.'

He sits up, rubbing his eyes. "Really?"

"Yes. Yes, absolutely. When can we?"

"Well, technically, it's always streaming, so I, I guess we can go now."

You nod.

He raises a brow as if he never expected you to agree. "Okay, uh, just, uh... gimme a second to wake up, okay?"

He comes out of the bathroom after washing his face to find you pacing, biting the inside of your cheek. "C'mon."

~~~~

The Viewing Room is desolate except for a few Gamemakers' Assistants (GAs), that have to watch footage 24/7.

"We have to record these things all the time, just in case something happens during the cover of nightfall", he explains, as he walks in front of you and gestures to the large screen in the opposite side of the room. "Usually, the stronger Careers, from 1 or 2-", he cuts himself off. That was not what you needed to be hearing right now.

He watches as you slowly walk up to the screen, as though the soft glow from it could lead you to Faye. Your eyes dart around the entirety of the enormous screen, looking for something - anything - to announce you of Faye's survival.

"She is still alive. You'd have heard a cannon and seen a picture of her if not."

It's not the most comforting thing he can say. He's usually better at this. God, if he didn't miss his old self, but the guilt of essentially using you to keep Snow's interest off his family and on you, the - to the extent of Snow's knowledge, anyway - love of his life, isn't exactly letting him be warm and inviting to you.

But he wants to. Let it be known, he wants nothing more than to do what he usually does. Brighten people up.

"Where is she?"

"WE'VE GOT A RUNNER!", calls one of the GAs and your head snaps to a blue triangle tracking one of the tributes on the screen, and you run over to that side of the massive screen.

The lights come on in the room, and people flood in. Sponsors, gamblers, Gamemakers. Because this is prime TV. He imagines every screen in the country lighting up, because you have to watch. Every child has just been woken up because the feed's back on.

"Who's the runner?", someone asks, and Finnick turns to you, diligently tracking the blue triangle with your eyes. Blue. Ocean. District 4. It's Faye.

"Girl from Four. The boy's already dead."

"How much did I have on her?"

"Oh, c'mon, you didn't have shit on her! No one thought she'd make it this far."

"Fine, fine, but now how much?"

The sounds of cruelty almost have him zoning out, going back into Capitol-Party-Finnick-Mode. That is, until, you call him.

"Finnick?"

He rushes to your side, a guilt induced speed to his gait. "Yeah, y'okay?" No the fuck she isn't. What the fuck is wrong with him?

"Who's the gold triangle chasing her?" Gold. Luxury. District 1. CAREER.

"Uh..." Deliver it softly. Sweetly.

"Unless she's a shapeshifter, the girl's DEAD!", laughs one of the sponsors. "It's my tribute, the Career boy from 1 chasin' her, with... wait, zoom in? Oh, yeah, a dagger!"

Your eyes widen and Finnick wants to kill himself. "She'll be fine. She can swim, he..."

Can also swim. Fuck.

"... he won't be able to keep up with her." , he says, finally.

Partially true. District 1 Careers didn't have access to the ocean, not like those from 4, so it was very much possible that he wasn't trained to know about tides and currents and shit.

There's a moment where no one in the room says anything. Because they both just jumped into the water, and Faye went under.

Finnick holds your head to his chest as you cling onto him in fear. It's not even remotely close to making up for what he's planning to put you through - well, already putting you through - but he at least feels a bit like the old him. The one who could actually comfort.

The tribute from 1 splashes around a bit, looking for Faye. You've turned a bit now, your head's still in his chest, but half your face is facing the screen. You're watching, anxious as ever.

"She's not drowned.", he mutters, stupidly. Duh.

"What if something pulled her under?"

Oh fuck. Yeah. Valid point.

"I'm sure it's just a strategy."

One that he remembers teaching her.

Maybe if she uses this and beats this District 1 Career, he could be one more step closer to gaining your forgiveness, and his redemption.

For a crime that the victim wasn't even aware was being committed.

The Career flounders around a bit more, screaming, clearly, but the audio is muted here. He looks around, not willing to look under, in case that might trigger the release of any muttations the Capitol cooked up for them.

And then, he's tugged a bit, his leg down, and he springs away from the motion. Please be Faye. Please be Faye.

He's jerked fully under, and a splash of Faye's hair can be seen before both disappear underneath the midlly murky waters, a struggle very evident in the way the water's splattering about.

Suddenly, it stops.

Faye leaps exhaustedly onto the bank, gasping for breath.

A cannon goes off. Florian Jentry. District 1 , Luxury. Score : 10.

Finnick holds onto you tighter as you sigh in relief. He softly kisses your hair because he doesn't know what else to do.

Relief is the only possible emotion to feel.

No one's happy. No one's sad. You're only either relieved that your loved one isn't gone, or relieved that they're not gone in a torturous way.

Wait, scratch that. The patron who just bet on Faye is happy.

17 notes · View notes

waterfire1848 · 2 days

Note

Sokkla Opposite AU, where Sokka is the banished Water Empire Prince looking for the Avatar and Azula is the last firebender of Hira'a who just found a boy inside a volcano.

Hello, @stardust948 !!! (BTW Love this reverse AU!)

1. Azula grew up in Hira’a because that’s where Ursa took the children and fled to when the Water Tribe attacking (very big mistake making your main city basically in a bowl). Iroh, Ozai, Lu Ten, Azula and Zuko were living their lives in the royal palace when the WT attacked and Ursa took the kids and fled to Hira’a which is where they’ve spent most of their lives (13 years). Ursa never stopped telling her children stories about Caldera and a time before the Water Tribe attacked and the Avatar which Azula rejected by Zuko was mesmerized by. Azula never really thought the Avatar could be alive and instead wanted to focus on defeating the Water Tribe so that they could go home. Iroh, Ozai and Lu Ten all never come to Hira’a so Ursa has no clue what happened to them but, shortly before Aang comes, she’s killed by the Water Tribe (who are looking for any remaining members of the Royal Family). Azula is the last firebender left in the area and feels the weight of this everyday. One day, she and Zuko are by the volcano (Zuko: Yeah. The Water Tribe would never look for two firebenders near a volcano. What a crazy idea. Azula: Zuzu. Zuko: Yes? Azula: I will know you into the active volcano. Please shut up. I’m trying to focus.) Of course he doesn’t shut up, Azula gets made and a familiar airbender pops out.

2. Sokka was banished by his father because he’s a nonbender. (Kinda hypocritical since Hakoda’s a nonbender too but…) Basically, Sokka was scarred and banished because Hakoda wanted Katara to take charge. He believed that she, being a girl in the Water Tribe, would be far more easy to control when she was on the throne as opposed to Sokka. So, Hakoda tricks Sokka so that when he goes on a traditional hunt, Sokka is attacked by a polar bear dog and blinded in one eye and returns home empty handed. Hakoda regards this as Sokka’s failure to show he can’t lead (he can’t even catch some food for a family. How is he expected to lead a nation?) and banishes him to find the Avatar. When Sokka sees the light coming from the Fire Nation island, he knows that this is his moment. (Sokka: Gran Gran, do you know what this means?!?! Kanna: That we have to go to the land where 80 degrees is their record low temperature?). Sokka’s scar is three long scratches over his eye and he can’t see out of it, so he relies on his other eye and good hearing to detect things. Also, because of his lack of bending, he’s become an expert in weapons and hand to hand combat which aids him greatly in an initial fight against Zuko (which he wins easily) and he doesn’t get to fight Aang because the airbender goes with him without issue (Aang: I bet none of you Water Tribe soldiers have ever fought an airbender before…)

3. When the Fire Nation was attacked, firebenders fled all over the planet and were hunted down by the Water Empire. Realizing they were weak, a good number of firebenders took whatever resources they could find and fled to the old Sun Warriors civilization. Azula and Zuko, being former royalty, were able to get that information and tell Aang about it so he can learn firebending (I changed the cycle. It’s now air, fire, earth and water). However, to throw Sokka off their trial they have to make a couple stops in the Earth Kingdom first. (Azula: I’m telling you, based on how Aang flies that water prince won’t be able to track us. Aang: What do you mean how I fly? Azula: We literally flew across two islands then flew back to both of those islands. Aang: Seems normal to me Azula: Yeah, no one is figuring out our pattern.) In the Earth Kingdom, they find Mai, who also fled with her family but they went to the Earth Kingdom. Mai is still trained as a markswoman but now she’s also helping the Yuyan archers. (Zuko: MAI! Azula: Your girlfriend is alive after all. Aang: Girlfriend? Azula: Mai and Zuko were inseparable before the Water Tribe attacked Caldera. They literally did everything together. Zuko: What?! No, we didn’t. Azula: Okay, we’ll pretend. Maybe we can also pretend the sky isn’t blue, Appa isn’t big and the Water Tribe doesn’t suck too. Zuko: 😡 Azula: This is only proving my point). Mai agrees to join after realizing where they’re going and what they’re trying to do.

4. Bato is a bit different from Zhao. He’s a family friend, but also Bato doesn’t just tell Sokka not to try and capture Aang. He gives him a chance but when Sokka can’t, he steps in and tells Sokka to remain put while he handles it. (Kind of in a…. ‘You’re my kinda sorta nephew’ way). Would you believe that Sokka doesn’t listen? Bato figures out where they’re going and that that’s the hiding place of the firebenders. The Water Tribe empire sends as many ships as possible and attacks while Azula, Zuko and Aang are there. When they arrived to the Sun Warrior’s home, they met Ty Lee who became a sort of spiritual person since her time in Caldera and is very closely connected to the dragons. When the city is attacked, she and the dragons emerge to protect the people and one of the dragons is shot down. The Water Tribe has GREAT respect for the spirits but they don’t really care for the first benders of other nations so killing a dragon is not a big deal to them. You know who it is a big deal for? Aang. While Aang attacks the Water Tribe, Ty Lee sacrifices herself to become the second dragon and maintain balance. (Sokka: Bato! Bato! Bato, hardly breathing because the dragon drove its claws into his chest: Hey, Sokka. Sokka: BATO! Bato, don’t worry. We’ll get a healer and- Bato: Don’t. I’m okay. Sokka: The blood coming out of your body would say otherwise. Bato: Sokka, I don’t know what you know about your father’s plan but promise me you’ll stay safe. Sokka: I- Bato: Promise me. Sokka: I promise. Bato: Good. Good….Sokka: Bato?…Bato…😭) (Hakoda: Ugh! Advisor: Sir, I- Hakoda: Get Katara! Advisor: But the princess- Hakoda: Get her! Tell her that she has her first mission. Bringing her brother back and killing Team Avatar. I have a feeling her newest skill will be very useless for that.)

5. Katara in canon was incredibly strong on just a couple weeks of training. Now imagine her with years of training and being okay with bloodbending (yeah....not good). As the princess of the Water Empire, Katara has a military force behind her but chooses not to use it because she wants to move swiftly. To do so, she uses Yue and Suki to help her. Yue isn’t exactly a princess (since only Katara can fulfill that role) but because the Water Tribe is incredibly spiritual, she is held in high esteem for having some of Tui’s life force. Unlike Azula and Zuko in canon, Katara and Sokka get along great. The second Sokka sees Katara he runs over to hug her and ask her how she’s been. Katara really doesn’t have any bad intentions so she tells Sokka about the mission their father has given her and if he wants to help. Sokka grows worried though because he doesn’t have Aang and wonders why his father could want him back without the Avatar. (Katara: He wants you back. What’s the problem? Sokka: I just….I don’t know. It feels weird. Katara: He’s our father. Sokka: I know and I know he just wants what’s best for us both but- Katara: He probably wants you back now because the Avatar is back. Hope will return to the Earth Kingdom and whatever’s left of those ashmakers may come together again. We need our Prince. Sokka: You’re right. Katara: I always am. Sokka: Spirits, I forgot how annoying you are when you’re right. Katara: I’d like to think of it as more….announcing to the world that I’m smarter than you. Sokka: You were right in this one argument. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves). The first time the four meet the Gaang, Katara goes right for bloodbending and bloodbends them all. (Katara: You’re not living up to the legend, Avatar). She only losses because Azula hits her with enough fire that Katara has to back up and they escape on Appa. (Sokka: You learned to bloodbend during the day?!?! Katara: That’s not all I learned. Sokka: What do you mean? Katara: Let’s just say I have a very…creative way to make sure that little firebender and the Avatar never bend a single element again).

(Plus one) 6. In Ba Sing Se, Sokka realizes the truth: that Hakoda doesn’t want him to return and grows terrified of going back with Katara. With very limited options, since Katara is seconds from taking over the city, he decides to switch sides and make a desperate jump to Aang’s team (Azula: Why would you join us? Sokka:….The good of the world? Azula: 😑). Of course, no one on the team trusts him but they’re a little occupied with fighting Katara to really worry about that. While fighting in the final battle, it’s Katara vs Sokka, Azula and Aang and Katara is very angry that Sokka changed sides. She’s angry enough that it throws her off her game and she ends up at Azula’s mercy with a flame to her throat. (Aang: Azula, no! Azula: We have to! If we don’t kill her now then she’ll kill us later! Aang: No! We can’t kill her. Azula, taking her eyes off of Katara: Aang- Sokka, noticing what Katara is about to do: Azula, watch out! *He pushes her out of the way of one of Katara’s attacks and Katara sends an ice blade past Azula and straight into Sokka’s chest. Sokka: AHHHH!! Azula: Sokka!) Katara takes the moment of panic to attack Aang, bloodbending him and Azula down and removing Aang’s bending but being forced to flee (cause….the Earth King has guards) before she can remove Azula’s. Azula, Zuko and the guards get Aang and Sokka to a healer’s room while Katara, Yue and Suki flee the city without being detected. Azula remains with Sokka and Aang while they heal, staying with Sokka until he actually wakes up. (Azula: He saved my life. Zuko: He did. Maybe he has changed. Azula: Zuko: Azula? Azula: No one’s ever….Zuzu? Zuko: Yes? Azula: Nevermind. It’s not important. I’ll talk to Sokka when he wakes up.)

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