#I THINK I have tags for them on this blog?

[kckt88]

Byka rūklon.

Summary:

Prince Aemond has been enjoying a secret relationship with a maid in the Red Keep, but as the Dance of Dragons begins, Aemond makes a decision in order to protect the one he loves.

Warnings - Angst, Darma, Secret Relationship, Kissing, Spit Kink, Smut - Oral Sex, P in V, Mention of Betrothal, Mention of Death, Vulnerability.

AEMOND TARGARYEN x Y.N

Word Count: 7,000

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the House of The Dragon or Fire & Blood characters nor do I claim to own them. I do not own any of the images used.

Comments, likes, and reblogs are very much appreciated.

Tag List - @jasminecosmic99 @kaelatargaryen @yesterdayfeelings-blog @immyowndefender @0eessirk8

The Red Keep was shrouded in the quiet stillness of the night, its imposing walls casting long shadows under the pale moonlight. Y.N. moved swiftly and silently through the darkened corridors, her heart pounding in her chest.

She knew every secret passage, every hidden door that the servants used to navigate the vast castle unnoticed.

Reaching the concealed entrance, she glanced around to ensure she was alone before slipping inside. The narrow passage was cold and damp, its stone walls rough against her fingertips.

She moved with practiced ease, her steps light and deliberate as she approached the hidden door that led into Aemond's chambers.

She eased the door open, the faint creak masked by the sound of crackling fire from within the room.

Peeking inside, she saw Aemond pacing back and forth, his movements agitated, his face a mask of frustration and anger. He was muttering to himself, his words sharp and filled with venom.

"-To break bread with those I despise," he was saying, his voice low but intense. "How am I expected to sit and feign civility when my blood boils at the sight of them?"

Y.N. slipped into the room, closing the door behind her as quietly as she could. Aemond did not notice her presence immediately, too absorbed in his thoughts.

"And that wretched nephew of mine," Aemond continued, his tone growing harsher. "He dares to mock me, after all the pain he has already inflicted. Does he think me weak? Does he think I have forgotten?"

"Aemond," Y.N. said softly, stepping forward.

He stopped abruptly, his gaze snapping to her. For a moment, his expression softened, the anger giving way to relief at her presence. "Y.N.," he breathed, striding towards her. "I did not hear you come in."

She reached out, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "I used the secret passageway.”

Aemond's hand covered hers, his grip firm but tender. "Your presence is a balm to my troubled mind," he said, his voice quieter now, the edge of his earlier rage fading.

Y.N. guided him to a nearby chair, urging him to sit. "Tell me what troubles you”.

He sat down heavily, running a hand through his silver hair. "It is my family," he began. "The feigned smiles and false courtesies. I am expected to dine with those who whisper lies and deceit. And my nephew—" His jaw clenched. "Lucerys. He mocks me, as if the wound he dealt me was not enough."

Y.N. knelt beside him, her eyes filled with empathy. "You carry so much weight on your shoulders, Aemond. Do not let the malice consume you."

Aemond looked down at her, his eye softening as he cupped her face in his hands. "You are my light in the darkness, Y.N. With you, I find the strength to endure."

She leaned into his touch, her heart swelling with love and determination. "And I will always be here for you”.

He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. "Promise me you'll stay with me tonight”.

"Always," she whispered back, her voice filled with unwavering devotion.

"Let me have you tonight," he whispered, his voice a hushed plea, filled with longing and vulnerability. "Let me forget the world, if only for a few hours."

Y.N. looked up into his eyes, her own filled with a mixture of love and desire. She could see the depth of his need, the raw emotion that he kept hidden from the world. In this moment, he was not the formidable Prince, but simply Aemond, a man seeking solace in her arms.

"Yes," she breathed, her voice barely more than a whisper but carrying all the affirmation he needed.

Aemond's gaze softened, a flicker of relief passing through his features as he gently cupped her face in his hands. He leaned down, capturing her lips in a tender, lingering kiss.

But then-

“Open”

Aemond smirked as Y.N obediently opened her mouth; he ran his thumb slowly over her plump lower lip before slipping it inside her mouth.

Without further prompting Y.N closed her mouth and began to suck, her tongue sliding along his thumb, Aemond watched as a small trickle of drool made its way down her chin.

He leaned forward and ran his tongue over her chin as Y.N continued to suck the thumb he had in her mouth.

“Such a good girl-”

He removed his thumb and grasped Y.Ns chin, holding her mouth open as he leaned forward and spat in her open mouth.

“Swallow”

Aemond growled as he watched Y.N obey and swallow, her eyes never leaving his.

“Issa byka rūklon-” muttered Aemond as he slid his hands over her shoulder’s and down over her chest to the laces of her dress. (My little flower).

“-Aemond” whispered Y.N as he loosened her dress and it slid from her body, the material pooling at her feet.

“So beautiful-“ mumbled Aemond as he directed her to lay down on the bed.

Y.N shivered against the cool sheets of the bed, as she watched Aemond remove his leather jerkin, his long fingers quickly undoing the clasps. He pulled his arms free and threw the dark material onto one of the arms chairs.

Y.N began squirming as Aemond knelt down beside the bed, reaching to remove her small clothes, he bunched them up his hand before he pressed the cotton material to his face, inhaling the scent of Y.N’s arousal, his eye rolling into the back of his head.

After discarding her smallclothes, Aemond slid his hands up Y.N’s legs and held open her thighs as he moved forward and teasingly pressed his nose against her slick folds.

“A-Aemond”

“Hm, so wet for me issa jorrāelagon” rasped Aemond (My love).

“Please my Prince. I’ve been good” moaned Y.N as Aemond’s mouth descending on her cunny.

Ravenously, he pressed into Y.N’s core with his tongue. Y.N clutched the bedspread, her fingers digging into the fabric.

Aemond withdrew from her soaking wet core and lashed hard at her clitoris with his tongue, pulling on it with his lips. He was hard, fast and brutal, alternating between her assaulted bundle of nerves and drinking deep from her cunt.

Y.N ground down on Aemond, hard; his tongue speared deeper inside her, and she felt the warm curl of her peak approach.

“That’s it come for me-issa gevie hāedar” urged Aemond, his fingers reaching forward to caress her pearl (My beautiful girl).

“AEMOND” screamed Y.N arching off the bed as she peaked.

“Hmm” muttered Aemond as he pressed a series of kisses to Y.N’s inner thighs.

“P-Please A-Aemond. Need you” begged Y.N.

Aemond rose from the floor, his chin shining with her slick, he smirked as he swiped the back of his hand over chin and then ran his tongue over his hand, savouring the delicious taste of Y.N.

Aemond reached forward and manoeuvred Y.N onto all fours.

Y.N was a delectable sight indeed, her arse in the air, her wet cunt on display, gods he needed to be inside her.

Aemond squeezed the meat of her arse before he slapped her, delighting in Y.N’s squeal of surprise.

“Now baby, I’m going to fuck you until you scream” said Aemond, delighting in the way Y/N began nodding and whimpering.

Aemond quickly yanked off his cotton shirt and unfastened his breeches.

His cock slapped up against his abdomen, the head glistening with pre-cum.

“FUCK” groaned Aemond as he took his cock in hand and began rubbing it along Y.N’s wet folds.

“Please, my Prince. I want it-I want you, please don’t make me wait anymore” begged Y.N.

“Fuck, that’s it” moaned Aemond his hard length filling her cunny in one smooth stroke.

“God. Yes. Aemond” moaned Y.N.

He began to thrust in and out of her in deep achingly slow thrusts.

“Your cunt is dripping, it's so beautiful” sighed Aemond.

Slowly thrusting back and forth. Over and over, withdrawing further each time, until his cock entirely withdrew from her warm wet entrance.

He marvelled at her body. Such a beautiful, succulent thing his byka rūklon was. Allowing him entry into the most sacred parts of her body (Little flower).

Aemond began to fuck her in earnest, plunging his cock into her cunny over and over, thrilling to hear Y.N’s moans of need echoing around his chambers.

Bracing her arms, she pushed against him so he could shove his cock in. Harder and faster.

Aemond felt his balls draw in; his peak was approaching.

But he didn’t want to finish like this, he wanted to see her face as she came around his cock.

Aemond withdrew, ignoring Y.N whimper of protest as he rolled her onto her back and slipped inside her again.

Y.N wrapped her legs around Aemond’s waist, drawing him closer as he began to thrust inside her, his cock reaching deep inside her.

“A-Aemond, I’m close-please” begged Y.N.

He snaked a hand down Y.N’s body and played with her clitoris, stroking it with his fingers.

“Oh gods” moaned Y.N as her whole-body began to shake.

“Come for me, Byka rūklon” breathed Aemond, his thrusts starting to jerk (Little flower),

He was close. So close. Just a little more-

Y.N screamed as her desperately needed peak exploded from her body, making every limb tremble as her body bucked around Aemond’s cock.

“ñuhon-“ groaned Aemond as he spilled rope after rope of his seed, he had no recollection of what he did or said for the good minute it took for his peak to crest, then subside (Mine).

For a moment he held himself over Y.N’s body, careful not to collapse on top of her as his cock softened inside her.

After a few minutes Aemond gently pulled out and rolled onto the mattress beside Y.N, he reached forward and enveloped her into a tight hug.

“I-I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“Not at all” replied Y.N smiling.

The next morning, Y.N. woke early, the warmth of Aemond's embrace lingering in her memory as she prepared for another day of service in the Red Keep.

The castle was unusually quiet, an oppressive stillness hanging in the air. As she went about her duties, she noticed a sense of unease among the other servants, whispers of something amiss passing between them.

Shortly after, Y.N. and the other maids were rounded up by stern-faced guards and led to a large, dimly lit room deep within the castle.

The heavy wooden door was shut behind them with a resounding thud, the key turning in the lock, sealing them inside. The maids exchanged worried glances, their fear and uncertainty palpable.

Hours passed in anxious silence. Y.N. paced the room, her mind racing with possibilities. What could have caused such a drastic measure? She thought of Aemond, wondering if he knew what was happening.

Finally, the door creaked open, and Otto Hightower the hand of the King walked in, his expression grave. The maids gathered around, holding their breath as they awaited the news.

"King Viserys is dead," Otto announced, his voice heavy with the weight of the revelation. Gasps and murmurs of shock rippled through the room. Y.N. felt her heart clench, the gravity of the situation settling over her like a dark cloud.

"In his last moments," Otto continued, "-The King expressed a wish for his oldest son, Prince Aegon, to succeed him on the Iron Throne. Not his named heir, Princess Rhaenyra."

The room erupted in whispers, the maids exchanging incredulous looks. This news contradicted everything they had known, everything the kingdom had been prepared for. Y.N.'s mind reeled, trying to process the implications. She thought of Aemond and how this upheaval might affect him and his family.

"Silence!" barked Otto, his voice cutting through the commotion. The maids fell silent, fear etched on their faces.

"You are commanded not to breathe a word of this to anyone. You will carry on with your duties as usual. Should any of you be caught spreading rumours or speaking out of turn, you will be severely dealt with. Do you understand?"

The maids nodded quickly, their fear of punishment overriding their curiosity and shock. Y.N. felt a cold dread settle in her stomach.

"You are dismissed," said Otto, stepping aside to let them pass. The maids filed out, their steps hurried and silent as they dispersed to their respective tasks.

Y.N. was polishing a suit of armour in one of the quieter hallways when she heard the soft shuffle of footsteps approaching.

She looked up to see an older maid, Elara, whose kind eyes were now shadowed with worry.

"Y.N.," Elara said in a low voice, glancing around to ensure they were alone. "Prince Aemond has summoned you to his chambers. You are to go immediately and attend to any duties the Prince requires."

Y.N. nodded, masking the flutter of anxiety and excitement in her chest. "Thank you, Elara. I'll go at once."

As she made her way to Aemond's chambers, Y.N. took care to maintain the appearance of a dutiful maid, her steps measured and her expression neutral.

The news of King Viserys' death and the sudden shift in succession had everyone on edge, and she knew the importance of discretion now more than ever.

Arriving at the door to Aemond's chambers, she paused to smooth her apron and take a calming breath. She knocked softly, and his familiar voice called her in. Stepping inside, she closed the door behind her, her eyes meeting Aemond's intense gaze.

He stood by the window, his posture rigid, the weight of the recent news evident in the lines of his face. Despite the turmoil, his expression softened slightly as he looked at her, a brief flicker of relief in his eye.

"You called for me, my Prince?" Y.N. said, keeping her tone respectful and formal.

"Yes," Aemond replied, his voice steady but tinged with underlying tension. "-There are matters we must discuss."

Y.N nodded as she  approached him, her heart aching to offer comfort, but she maintained her composed demeanour. "How may I assist you, my Prince?"

“I take it you are aware of the Kings passing?” asked Aemond.

“Y-Yes my Prince-“ replied Y.N.

“My brother Aegon has been crowned. The council moved quickly to secure his position, claiming it was our father's final wish."

“What about the Princess Rhaenyra?"

Aemond's jaw tightened. "My mother, Alicent, believes we can find a peaceful resolution to these matters. She hopes to avoid bloodshed, to honour my father's memory by keeping the realm united."

"And you?" Y.N. asked softly, sensing the turmoil within him.

Aemond's eye darkened, the firelight reflecting the intensity of his gaze. "I know there will be no peace. Rhaenyra will not so easily relinquish her claim to the throne, nor will Daemon. A war is likely to be fought over the Iron Throne and the question of who is the rightful ruler."

Y.N. stepped closer, her hand reaching out to touch his arm. "What will you do?"

"Y.N., there is something I must tell you. My grandfather, has said that in order to secure Aegon's claim to the Iron Throne, we need to forge strong alliances. And the only way to do that is through marriage."

Y.N. felt a cold knot of fear tighten in her stomach, "What do you mean?"

Aemond took her hands in his, his grip firm yet gentle. "I have been ordered to go to Storm's End. There, I am to choose one of Borros Baratheon's daughters to wed in exchange for the Lord's support."

Tears welled in Y.N.'s eyes, the reality of his words crashing down upon her like a tidal wave. "No," she whispered, shaking her head as tears began to spill down her cheeks. "Aemond-"

He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as if to shield her from the pain. "I do not wish for this, Y.N. You know that my heart belongs to you, and only you."

"But you have to do it," she said, her voice breaking. "For your family, for the throne-"

Aemond's hand stroked her hair, his touch a tender balm against the anguish they both felt. "Yes. It is my duty. But that does not make it any easier. I cannot bear the thought of losing you."

Y.N. clung to him. "What will we do? How can we be together if you marry another?"

He took a deep breath, "When I marry, what we have must come to an end."

Y.N. felt her heart shatter, the tears she had been holding back spilling down her cheeks. "Aemond," she whispered, her voice breaking.

He reached out, cupping her face in his hands, his touch tender yet firm. "I do not wish to marry one of Borros Baratheon's daughters, but I cannot dishonour my wife. It would be unfair to her-“

Y.N. nodded, understanding his sense of duty even as it tore her apart. "I understand," she said, her voice barely audible.

Aemond's thumbs brushed away her tears, his gaze filled with a deep, aching sadness.

"Y.N.," Aemond whispered, his voice thick with emotion, "I need-one night. One night where we can be together, without the burdens of duty and the shadow of the future hanging over us. Just you and me, as we are."

Tears welled in Y.N.'s eyes again, but this time they were tears of bittersweet joy. She nodded, her voice trembling as she replied, "Yes, Aemond”

He kissed her then, with a fervour and desperation that spoke of their shared need to hold onto each other, to savour every precious moment before the inevitable separation. As their lips parted, he led her to the bed.

Y.N. tried to throw herself into her duties, to lose herself in the mundane tasks that filled her days in the Red Keep. She scrubbed floors and dusted shelves, her movements automatic as she tried to push the thoughts of Aemond from her mind.

But no matter how hard she worked, his face lingered in her thoughts, his touch still imprinted on her skin.

Earlier that day, she had watched from the window as Aemond had taken to the sky on his dragon, Vhagar. The sight had torn at her heart, knowing that with each beat of the dragon's wings, he was moving further away from her, closer to the woman who would become his wife.

The thought of him choosing another, of him marrying someone who wasn't her, was like a dagger to her heart. She tried to push the pain away, to bury it deep beneath the surface, but it clawed at her relentlessly, refusing to be ignored.

As she worked, her hands shook with suppressed emotion, her vision blurred by unshed tears. She felt a lump form in her throat, choking off her breath as she struggled to hold back the flood of grief threatening to overwhelm her.

In moments of respite, she stole away to the quiet corners of the castle, seeking solace in the memories of their time together. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to relive each stolen kiss, each whispered vow of love, clinging to them like lifelines in the midst of a storm.

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the image of Aemond's face as he had pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, his expression torn between duty and desire.

She knew that he was sacrificing his own happiness for the sake of his family and the realm, but it offered little comfort in the face of her own heartache.

In the back of her mind she knew getting involved with the Prince was only going to end one way, they couldn’t be together openly nor could they marry, he was a Prince and she was nothing but a lowly maid with no title or coin to her name.

As the day wore on and the sun dipped below the horizon, Y.N. found herself alone in the quiet of the evening. The castle seemed to echo with the emptiness of her own heart, a hollow reminder of the absence of the man she loved.

With a heavy sigh, she sank to her knees, the weight of her grief pressing down on her like a leaden cloak. She bowed her head, her tears falling freely now as she allowed herself to mourn the loss of what could never be.

In the darkness of the night, she whispered his name, a prayer and a plea for his safety and his happiness, even as she knew that her own heart would never be whole again.

"Y.N.," Elara whispered urgently, her hand gripping Y.N.'s shoulder. "Wake up, child. Prince Aemond has returned from his travels. He demands your presence in his chambers immediately."

Y.N.'s heart lurched in her chest, a cold knot of fear forming in the pit of her stomach.

Nodding silently, Y.N. threw off the covers and rose from her bed, her limbs heavy with apprehension. She dressed quickly, her fingers trembling as she fumbled with the laces of her gown.

As she made her way through the deserted corridors of the Red Keep, her footsteps echoing in the stillness of the night.

When she reached Aemond's chambers, she hesitated for a moment outside the door, her hand hovering over the latch. With a steadying breath, she pushed it open and stepped inside.

The room was dimly lit by flickering candles, casting eerie shadows on the walls. Aemond stood by the window, his back to her, his silhouette outlined against the moonlit sky. His shoulders were tense, his posture rigid, and Y.N. felt a pang of apprehension at the sight of him.

"Aemond," she said softly, her voice barely more than a whisper.

He turned to her; his expression unreadable in the half-light. "Y.N.," he replied, his voice low and strained.

"What has happened?" she asked, her heart pounding in her chest.

Aemond's gaze held hers for a long moment, his eye dark with sorrow and regret as he shook his head.

As Y.N. stepped further into the room, her eyes widened in alarm as she took in Aemond's appearance. He stood before her, drenched from head to toe, water droplets glistening in his hair and trickling down his face. His clothes clung to his body, soaked through.

"Aemond," she gasped, rushing to his side. "You're soaking wet, you should get out of these wet clothes before you catch a chill."

He remained silent; his gaze distant as he stood motionless before her. Without waiting for a response, Y.N. stepped forward, her fingers trembling slightly as she helped him to undress.

As she peeled the damp fabric away from his skin, she couldn't help but notice the way his muscles tensed beneath her touch, the coolness of his skin beneath her fingertips.

She pressed the towel against his pale skin, drying him off with gentle, careful strokes, the silence of the room broken only by the soft rustle of fabric and the occasional sound of his uneven breath.

As she finished drying him off, she stepped back, her eyes meeting his with a mixture of concern and compassion. "Aemond," she said softly, her voice barely more than a whisper. “What happened?”

Y.N. watched as Aemond sat down on the edge of his bed, his shoulders hunched and his expression haunted.

She hesitated for a moment before he patted the spot next to him, silently inviting her to join him. With a gentle nod, she obliged, taking a seat beside him.

As she settled onto the bed, she felt a tremor run through Aemond's frame, his breathing shallow and uneven.

Without a word, he shifted closer to her, curling up and resting his head in her lap. Y.N. froze for a moment, startled by the sudden intimacy of the gesture, before tentatively reaching out to stroke his silver hair.

In that moment, Aemond seemed so vulnerable, his usually stoic demeanour giving way to a raw, unguarded emotion.

He looked up at her with an eye that mirrored the pain and turmoil swirling within him, and for the first time, Y.N. saw him not as a Prince, but as a lost and wounded soul, desperately seeking solace in the arms of another.

With a soft sigh, she continued to stroke his hair, her touch gentle and soothing. She felt the tension begin to seep out of his body, his breathing gradually slowing as he surrendered to the comfort of her embrace.

"He's dead."

Y.N.'s heart skipped a beat at his words, her breath catching in her throat. "Who?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Aemond met her gaze, his eyes filled with a pain that cut straight to her soul. "Lucerys," he replied, his voice heavy with grief and guilt.

Y.N. felt the blood drain from her face at the mention of Lucerys Velaryon's name. "But-how?" she stammered, unable to comprehend the magnitude of what Aemond was saying.

Aemond took a deep breath, his hands trembling slightly as he recounted the events that had led to Lucerys' death. "I wasn't the only envoy to arrive at Storm's End," he began, his voice hoarse with emotion. "Rhaenyra is also trying to rally support for her claim to the throne."

He paused, his gaze dropping to the floor as if unable to meet her eyes. "Borros Baratheon refused Lucerys," he continued, his voice tight with anger and regret. "But I-I wanted him to pay for what he did to me all those years ago."

Y.N. listened in stunned silence as Aemond spoke, her heart breaking with each word. She had known of what had happened between Aemond and Lucerys on Driftmark, but she had never imagined it would come to this.

"I took to the sky on Vhagar," Aemond went on, his voice trembling with emotion. "I chased Lucerys in the skies above Storm's End, wanting only to scare him, to make him feel as weak as he had made me feel all those years ago."

"But then-then his dragon, Arrax, attacked Vhagar," he said, his voice catching in his throat. "She wouldn't listen to my commands, and I tried to stop her, but she-she killed Lucerys."

Y.N. felt a wave of horror wash over her at Aemond's words, the enormity of what he had done crashing down on her like a tidal wave. She reached out to him, her hand trembling as she touched his arm.

"Aemond," she whispered, her voice choked with tears.

He looked at her then, his eyes filled with anguish and self-loathing. "I never meant for this to happen, Y.N.," he said, his voice breaking with emotion. "I never wanted him to die-I just wanted to scare him”.

“I-It was an accident” whispered Y.N

Aemond's breathing grew rapid and shallow, panic flickering in his eye as he pulled back from Y.N.'s embrace. "No one can know it was an accident," he said, his voice urgent and strained. "No one"

Y.N. looked at him, her heart pounding with fear and confusion. "Aemond," she said, trying to keep her voice steady, "You would rather the realm think you a kinslayer?"

Aemond met her gaze, his expression fierce and unyielding. "Yes," he replied without hesitation. "As far as anyone else is concerned, I meant to kill Lucerys. I did it on purpose."

Y.N. stared at him, stunned into silence. She had known Aemond to be proud and determined, but she had never imagined he would willingly accept such a terrible label. "Aemond," she whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief, "-You can't be serious."

"I am," he said, his tone resolute. "If word gets out that it was an accident, it will weaken our position. People will see me as weak, as someone who lost control. They will question our strength and our resolve."

"But Aemond," Y.N. protested, her eyes wide with shock, "-You're condemning yourself to a life of infamy. A kinslayer is cursed in the eyes of the gods and men alike."

"I know," he replied, his voice filled with a grim determination. "But it is a burden I must bear. For the sake of my family, for the sake of our cause, I will wear that label if I must."

"Y.N., you need to leave the Red Keep."

She pulled back slightly, her brow furrowing in confusion. "What are you talking about, Aemond? I'm not leaving you."

His eyes bore into hers, a fierce intensity in his gaze. "War is coming. The realm will be torn apart, and I won't risk your life. You must go somewhere safe, far away from here."

Y.N. shook her head vehemently, tears welling in her eyes. "No, Aemond. I refuse to leave you. I won't abandon you now, not when you need me the most."

He cupped her face in his hands, his expression pained but resolute. "Y.N., listen to me. I love you too much to see you harmed. Every moment you stay here, you're in danger. If something were to happen to you, I could never forgive myself."

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she clutched at his arms, desperation in her voice. "But Aemond, what about us? How can I live knowing that you're here, fighting alone, without me?"

Aemond's eyes softened, and he pressed his forehead against hers, his voice breaking. "It will break my heart to be apart from you, but it would bring me peace to know that you are safe. If you stay, I will be constantly worried for your safety. I need to know that you are far from harm, that you are somewhere where this war cannot touch you."

Y.N. sobbed quietly, the weight of his words sinking in. "I can't do it, Aemond. I can't leave you."

"You must," he insisted, his voice trembling. "For me, Y.N. Please. If you love me, you will do this. I cannot fight, I cannot lead, knowing that you might be caught in the crossfire. I need you to be safe, more than anything."

“-Aemond”

Aemond released Y.N. from their embrace and walked over to his desk, opening a drawer and pulling out a small, leather pouch. He turned back to her, his expression a mixture of determination and sorrow.

He handed her the pouch, pressing it firmly into her hands. "There is enough here to last you for a while," he said, his voice steady despite the turmoil in his eyes. "At dawn, there is a ship sailing across the Narrow Sea bound for Pentos. That's where you will go."

Y.N. looked down at the pouch, the weight of the coins pressing against her palms like the weight of the world. "Pentos," she whispered, her voice trembling. "But, Aemond, I—"

He interrupted her gently but firmly. "You must go, Y.N. It is the only way I can be sure that you are safe. Pentos is far enough from the conflict that you will be out of harm's way."

She looked up at him, tears blurring her vision. "And what about you? How will I know if you're safe?"

Aemond's expression softened, and he reached out to cup her face in his hands. "I will come and find you when the war is over," he promised, his voice filled with a fierce determination.

Y.N. nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. "-Aemond. I just-I don't want to leave you."

He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, his lips lingering there for a moment as if trying to memorize the feel of her skin. "I don't want you to leave either," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "But this is the only way. I need to know that you are safe so I can focus on what needs to be done."

She clung to him, her heart breaking with the weight of their impending separation. "I'll go to Pentos," she whispered, her voice trembling. "But you have to promise me that you'll come for me."

Aemond pulled back slightly, looking into her eyes with a fierce intensity. "I promise, Byka rūklon. I will find you, no matter what. Just stay safe and wait for me." (Little flower).

Two years had passed, and Y.N. had settled into a quiet, unassuming life in a small town just outside of Pentos. The pouch of coins Aemond had given her had long since run out, forcing her to find work as a seamstress.

She spent her days sewing and mending, her fingers moving deftly through fabric as her mind wandered through memories of the past.

The days in the town were slow and uneventful, but news from Westeros still reached her, carried by travellers and merchants passing through.

She had heard of the young prince Jaehaerys' brutal murder at the hands of assassins, a tragedy that had left her reeling. Then came the news of Princess Rhaenys and her dragon Meleys falling at Rook's Rest, followed by word of Aegon's severe injuries and Aemond being crowned as Prince Regent, and later news of a battle in the Gullet and the death of Prince Jacaerys also reached her.

When King's Landing fell, she heard of the tragic deaths of Jaehaera, Maelor and Helaena, who had eventually taken her own life. The death of Rhaenyra at Aegon's hands and his later death after being poisoned.

But it was the news of Aemond's death that truly shattered her.

She had clung to the hope that one day, she would look into the sky and see Vhagar, with Aemond keeping his promise to her.

But when she heard that he had perished in a dragon battle with Daemon and his dragon Caraxes above the God's Eye, that hope died within her. Vhagar was gone, and so was Aemond, resting alongside his dragon in their watery grave.

Y.N. wiped the tears from her cheeks, her heartache momentarily interrupted by the soft voice calling out from the corner of the room. "Mama?"

She turned, her eyes focusing on the small cot in the corner. With a deep breath, she stood and walked over to the cot, her steps slow and heavy. As she approached, the sight before her filled her with a mixture of sorrow and love.

The silver-haired boy looked up at her with wide, curious eyes, the perfect image of his father. His hair, the same shade of silver as Aemond's, shimmered in the dim light of the room, and his violet eyes held a depth and intensity that reminded her so much of the man she had lost.

"Mama," the boy repeated, reaching out to her with tiny hands.

Y.N. knelt beside the cot, a soft smile forming on her lips despite the tears that still glistened in her eyes. "Yes, my love," she whispered, brushing a strand of hair away from his forehead. "Mama is here."

Y.N looked at the silver-haired boy, his tiny fingers clutching hers, and wondered what Aemond would think if he knew that on their last night together, his seed had taken root, and she had borne him a son.

Y.N’s thoughts swirled with the bittersweet reality of their situation. She knew, deep in her heart, that Aemond would have still sent her away, even if he had known she was carrying his child.

Their love, while deep and true, existed within the constraints of a world governed by duty, honour, and rigid social structures.

Aemond was a Prince, bound by obligations and expectations that came with his birthright. She was nothing but a maid, a servant within the halls of the Red Keep.

Despite the intensity of their love, they lived in a world where such a union was not just frowned upon, but practically impossible.

"In this world, you may be considered a bastard," she whispered to the boy, her voice filled with quiet determination. "But you are also the son of a Prince. And I will make sure you know of your father, and the love that brought you into this world."

The sun was beginning its descent, casting a warm, golden light over the small garden where Y.N. was busy digging up vegetables. Aemion, sat on a blanket nearby, happily playing with his wooden toys.

Y.N wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, smiling at Aemion's joyful play. Despite the hardships, these moments brought her a sense of peace and fulfilment.

Her hands worked deftly in the soil, but her mind wandered, as it often did, to memories of Aemond.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her, startling Y.N.

She quickly straightened up, her heart pounding in her chest. Instinctively, she reached for Aemion and hauled him into her arms before she withdrew the small knife hidden in her sleeve.

"Stay back. I’m no weakling woman-I will slit you from cock to throat if you dare lay hands upon me or my son-" she commanded, her voice steady despite the fear coursing through her veins.

The stranger remained silent for a moment, then spoke, his voice deep and familiar. "Byka rūklon-“

Y.N.'s heart skipped a beat. Her eyes widening in disbelief as the figure pulled down his hood.

"Aemond," she whispered, her voice breaking with a mixture of shock and overwhelming emotion.

He looked weary and travel-worn, his face bearing new marks of the brutal battles he had fought.

A deep scar ran from his left temple into his hairline, and burn scars marred his neck and under his chin. Yet his gaze was as intense and piercing as ever.

Aemond took a step forward, his eyes locked on hers. "Y.N.," he said softly, his voice filled with an emotion that mirrored her own.

The knife slipped from her fingers, forgotten, as she clutched Aemion tightly to her chest. She took a hesitant step forward, her eyes scanning Aemond's face as if trying to confirm that he was truly there. "How-how are you here? I thought-you died in the battle above the God's Eye."

Aemond nodded slowly, his expression grim. "I probably have" he admitted. "After the battle, I was dragged under the water. I thought it was the end. The last thing I thought of was you, Y.N. I would have died content knowing you were safe."

Tears welled up in Y.N.'s eyes as she listened, clutching Aemion closer. "But you're here," she whispered. "How did you survive?"

Aemond took a deep breath, reaching out to gently touch her cheek. "The gods had other ideas," he said softly. "When I was being pulled under, the strap on my riding chain broke. I managed to free myself and make it to the edge of the lake. I must have passed out because the next thing I remember is waking up in Harrenhal. My wounds were being tended to by a healer."

Y.N. reached up to cover his hand with hers, feeling the rough texture of his scarred skin. "I can't believe it," she murmured, tears streaming down her face.

Aemond's gaze softened as he looked at the child in Y.N.'s arms, his heart swelling with a mixture of awe and tenderness. He reached out, his fingers gently brushing through the boy's silver hair.

“I-Is he-“

"Yes. His name is Aemion," Y.N. said softly, her voice filled with pride and love.

Aemond's smile widened at the revelation, his eye shining with unspoken emotion. "Aemion," he repeated, the name rolling off his tongue like a whispered promise. "It suits him."

“Given his resemblance to you-there was no other name for him”

He looked up at Y.N., his expression filled with gratitude. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "For giving me this gift."

Y.N. reached out, her hand finding his, their fingers intertwining.

Aemond's eye filled with tears as he looked at Aemion "May I-may I hold him?" he asked, his voice trembling with anticipation.

Y.N. nodded, her own eyes brimming with tears of happiness. "Of course," she said, carefully placing Aemion into Aemond's arms.

Aemond cradled the boy close to his chest, feeling the weight of love settle over him. Aemion stirred in his arms, his amethyst eyes meeting his father's gaze.

For a moment, they simply stared at each other, a silent understanding passing between them.

Then, Aemion let out a small noise of contentment, and snuggled closer to Aemond's chest.

"I'm sorry-" whispered Aemond, his voice choked with emotion. "-That It took me so long to keep my promise. I should have been here sooner."

Y.N. reached out, her hand finding his, her touch gentle and reassuring. "It doesn't matter," she said softly, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "You're here now and that's all that matters."

Aemond's heart swelled with gratitude at her words. How had he been so fortunate to have her in his life? "I'm never leaving you again. We belong together, you, me, and Aemion. Nothing will ever tear us apart."

Y.N. looked up at Aemond, her eyes searching his face for answers. "What happens now?" she asked softly, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

Aemond met her gaze, his expression thoughtful. "Everyone believes I died alongside Vhagar," he said quietly, his tone filled with resignation. "And I'm more than willing to continue letting them believe that."

Y.N.'s brow furrowed in confusion. "But why?" she asked, unable to hide the concern in her voice.

Aemond reached out, gently cupping her cheek with his hand. "Because if everyone thinks I'm dead, then I can be free to live as I want to," he explained, his voice tinged with determination. "I'm free to be with the woman I love, to raise our son together without the burden of duty and expectation weighing us down."

Y.N. felt a surge of emotion welling up inside her, threatening to overwhelm her. She had never dared to hope for a future like this, where she could be with Aemond openly, without fear of judgment or reprisal.

"But what about your family, your responsibilities?" she asked, her voice trembling with uncertainty.

Aemond shook his head, his gaze unwavering. "My family is gone," he said softly. "And as for responsibilities, my only duty now is to you and Aemion”.

Y.N. felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes as she looked at Aemond, her heart overflowing with love and gratitude. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath. "For choosing us."

Aemond smiled, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "I would choose you a thousand times over," he said, his voice filled with sincerity. "You and Aemion are my everything, Y.N. And I will spend the rest of my days proving that to the both of you."

THE END.

[writers-potion]

said is NOT DEAD. our brains have seen it so much that when reading dialogue, it just glosses over it. if you don't want to detract from the dialogue, USE SAID. other words might ground the reader a little too much and lose a bit of immersion.

--this comes from my old tutor who now has a phd in literature

Said Is Not Dead

Of course not! "Said" should still be your go-to speech tag, the benefit being that it flows best. I find it nice to have a larger working vocabulary when it comes to expressing speech, though, and I think many writers would agree! It's one thing to use "said" because you know it's the best word choice and another to keep using it because you can think of no alternative.

Having said that:

". . . Don't tell me your character 'excaimed,' 'stated,' or 'replied.' When in doubt, just use 'said.' That's all. Maybe they 'answered.' They certainly did not 'retort.' You can use 'said' more often than you think . . . it's one of those words that takes a while before it starts sounding repetitive." -- Ariel Gore, How to Become a Famous Writer Before You're Dead

"The best form of dialogue attribution is 'said,' as in 'he said, she said, Bill said, Monica said." -- Stephen King, On Writing

"Mr. [Robert] Ludlum . . . hates the 'he said' locution and avoids it as much as possible. Characters in The Bourne Ultimatum seldom 'say' anything. Instead, they cry, interject, interrupt, muse, state, counter, conclude, mumble, whisper (Mr. Ludlum is great on whispers), intone, roar, exclaim, fume, explode, mutter. There is one especially unforgettable tautology: '"I repeat," repeated Alex.' The book may sell in the billions, but it's still junk." -- Newgate Callender, in The New York Times Book Review

"Editors and critics often refer to melodramatic dialogue tags as 'said bookisms.' They know that these phrases give our story an amateurish look. Your readers might not know what the darn things are called, but chances are that they'll notice them, too . . . In most cases, the word 'said' would work just fine, and using said bookisms detracts from the dialogue." -- Ann M. Marble, "'Stop Using Those Said Bookisms,' the Editor Shrieked."

"[Say is] just too simple and clear and straightforward for many people. Why say something when you can declare, assert, expostulate, whine, exclaim, groan, peal, breathe, cry, explain, or asseverate it? I'm all for variety and freshness of expression, but let's not go overboard." -- Patricia T. O'Conner, Woe Is I

"In journalism circles, said is a virtue--simple, precise, and unadorned--and alternatives to it are considered frilly and silly. You don't have to agree, but be aware that lots of editors hold this view. Choose your alternatives to said with great care." --June Casagrande, It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences

"We're all in favor of choosing exactly the right verb for the action, but when you're writing speaker attributions the right verb is nearly always 'said.' The reason those well-intentioned attempts at variety don't work is that verbs other than 'said' tend to draw attention away from the dialogue." --Renni Browne and Dave King, Self-Editing for Fiction Writers

Side Note: After a month-long hiatus while this uni writer struggled with exams, internships, interviews and multiple mental breakdowns, I am going to resume answering questions that have piled up in my inbox! Get ready to be bombarded with writing QnA!!!! :)

If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 📸

[tellmeallaboutit]

favorite Raphael fics

There are a lot of Raphael fic rec lists out there, I'll concentrate on my own niche of Raphael: dark!Raphael and related as I think this is what the audience of this blog mostly interested in.

Please note that the works listed below are a warning tag minefield, explicit and meant for mature audiences only. Also, all of them are F!Tav or AFAB!Tav.

to even the odds by @dodorimo // generally, check all dodo's works (all the little things with Astarion is also amazing) if you like my stuff, because we are very much into the same topics.

Forfeit by @deardarlingdevil // wonderful smut. The author really nailed down the psychology of a sadistic and a depraved man in bed.

Six Hours by @aladaylessecondblog // I liked this one for Tav actively NOT liking Raphael for all the right reasons. Felt like a very believable reaction of a cleric in the world to a devil.

Cheerful Oblivion by @sassyandsodone // this one is a very well-done realistic take on what it really means to be a devil's mindless loving doll.

The Devil's Own by @gatewarden108 // this one has all the favourite tropes: forced impregnation, captivity, isolation, mind break. Also, a finished long WIP which is a unicorn by itself.

Until We Bleed and Ecstasy by @theemptyislost // very much recommend this one with Haarlep as a key component in Tav / Dark!Raphael relationship.

Roses and Peppers by distorsie // this one is just lovely. The rare breed of poetic Dark!Raphael.

indulgences and debasement by @pouralaura // I don't think this Raphael is dark per se, but he is deliciously depraved and debauched. Besides, the author has a wonderful writing style from a technical perspective.

The Devil Inside by @littleplasticrat // this one is also very Haarlep-heavy, features also Tav x Dammon, and it's... it's as dirty as it gets. Being Raphael's warlock has "getting fucked in most depraved ways" in the job description. The only DAP in the fandom I know. Enjoy.

P.S. there is one deleted fic I still think about, it was called The House That Devil Built, methinks. Damn, just one chapter, but it had The Vibe (TM).

If you have a work recommendation that fits The Vibe (TM), just drop it in my inbox (self-promotion welcome obv), I would appreciate it. I rarely lurk AO3 anymore and as fics rarely get reblogged miss a lot of works.

[elkyralt]

I'm going to write this now as I'm watching the goodbye stream, to add my two cents and whatnot.

The community has always been a huge part of the project, if we put the actual server aside for one second. The fanart, fanfics, headcannons, theories, comics, analysis, videos, memes, all of it was just as important as the actual players and server happening. The community was as much the lifeblood of the project as the actors involved were, and for that I can give a big thank you to all of you in the QSMP tag reblogging and creating under QSMPblr. I've adored each passing moment here - that including the rougher eras because as a community I've seen very measured responses from people truly passionate about the purpose the QSMP was there to serve - to unite communities.

As I'm watching Quackity talking about the fact that even if the QSMP as a project has ended, his desire in bridging cultural and language gaps is still present and something he wants to continue creating for. So yes, even if the server is currently ending, what has been achieved will forever be present. I'd never even thought that I'd be in a community with so many different nationalities who are not afraid to express themselves in their own languages and cultures, and especially I'd never thought that I'd be eagerly waiting to congratulate mutuals on their national holidays and things like that. In that, it's made me want to get closer to my own culture since I've never really properly grown up where I come from and I think that is something to be cherished.

I'd never thought I'd rekindle my passion for language learning and now be able to watch videos and streams in Spanish to understand the majority of what's being said and laugh along in chat, nevermind that same passion being rekindled or created for thousands of others. We have so many languages here and it's insane to even think about isn't it? People in the community that speak: Portugese, French, English, Spanish, German, Korean and probably more! I've been trilingual for the major part of my life, and have known Italian really well for a long time on top of that, but the QSMP as a whole has opened up my perspective on language like I'd never thought anything could.

THAT BEING SAID. Thank you to the creators involved in the project. It was clear to me as early as from the first days - before the translator - when the creativity and passion of the creators broke through those initial barriers and helped form the meaningful connections we find today. The roleplayers that created stories and characters very near and dear to me are absolutely to be praised, personally, I'd say q!Cellbit, q!Roier and q!Etoiles are my favourite characters to come out of this and those that I will keep creating and blogging about. Every character that came out of this is incredible though, everyone even down to Jorgito the IV drip and Posolito the capybara are utterly, indisputably, definantly: peak. Im greatful to the duos or groups that have emerged thanks to the translator and opportunity, just a few examples being: Cellbit and Roier, Badboy and YD, Pierre and Maximus, Etoiles and Phil, Missa and Phil, Cellbit and Baghera, Tubbo and Pac, etcetera! All of these connections between CCs were really entertaining to watch, and all due to the QSMP.

ALSO THAT BEING SAID. Thank you to the actors behind the scenes doing as much of a part as the streamers themselves. The eggs were all absolutely wonderful as NPCs and breathed life into the server like no other. All of them, all portrayed such different characters with realistic personalities and struggles that to me have always been stupendous at staying in character at all points. Lullah, Chayanne, Richas, Tupperware (Dapper), Patitas de cheto (Bobby), Leo, Tillin, Juanna, Trump, Chunsik, Em, Pepito, Sunny, all of you eggos have made the QSMP an unforgettable experience, and you admins deserve to get recognition. Massive thanks also go to the designers, writers, actors and managers behind the project as well, just as important in keeping the server running and fresh in how it was.

General thanks to the project for achieving what it has. Uniting communities, creating an incredibly story and characters, opening mine and other's eyes to more diverse cultures, rekindling passion for language learning and just so much more shit I could talk about for hours. This server has been an incredible ride, but that doesn't mean I'm leaving it completely.

Of course, the QSMP was by no means perfect and I'm not trying to make it out to be. It has it's issues and I'm completely aware of that. I think the impact and beauty the server has had is something to be celebrated regardless because it's something on a scale not done before.

I'm still going to be here, posting and creating about this SMP even after it closes. I'm still gonna be here posting silly clips and making long posts like this one that will maybe get 5 notes - but that's fine with me. I'm proud to be part of this community and experience as a whole, since Day fucking 1 - and I regret none of it. To all the people I've met over this thank you so much for being the people you are, keep creating and learning.

Thank you, QSMP, QSMPblr and Quackity Studios.

[kit-williams]

Plague Soup for the Soul

Plague Witch!Rader x Typhus the traveler, Herald of Nurgle

Tag list: @bispecsual @egrets-not-regrets @moodymisty @bleedingichorhearts @liar-anubiass-blog

@thevoidscreams @barn-anon @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan @squishyowl @ms--lobotomy

@plegg

Song on repeat: Hold, Release; Rakshasa & Carcasses

Word Count: 3242 3602 words too many

tw: Casual body horror? Gonna be real people idk how to tag this. Lots of insect stuff, update: SMUT

Food was important for Nurglites. It was embedded deep into their worship, their mythos, always a key part in their legends, and of course highly important to Grandfather Nurgle. For Plague Witches they acted as conduits for two important aspects of their god... as their bubbling cauldrons contained eternal soups and through these soups is how they would preform their magic & spread the love of Grandfather. They say the most skilled Plague Witch would even get a drop of the eternal brew into their cauldron if their soup and their skills of incorporating plagues into the broth was as skilled as how Grandfather did. A good base was the key like with any good soup! Just as much as Love, good ingredients & along with their own ways of enchanting their soups kept them going century after century. But, to get them that far wasn't easy as some would too quick to ravage the body fizzling out rapidly after infecting many... and others would get cold before the potency was there.

Typhus was the Herald of Nurgle... so deeply tied to his god... so he could tell that something had agitated the Lord of Plagues as the Nurglings were not giggling they were frustrated and impatient... no mischievous glint in their eyes, "Dearest little ones," He spoke to the hoard of Nurglings that kept him company the closest one looked up at Typhus with a dopey grin, "What displeases Grandfather? Have I not done enough to sway the Great Game in his favor? Have I not brought his love to enough planets recently?"

Grandpa is pleased with you!" One shouted over the rest before the hoard babbled out, "However, there is a plague witch in your fleet with the most delicious soup! But! They offer such a meager portion that it has taken Grandpa this long to figure out where they are." They babbled excitedly.

Typhus drummed his fingers against his stomach... it couldn't be any of the Plague Witches in his direct service as they all had large bubbling cauldrons and he knew for a fact they gave him & Grandfather their portions; even if it was a new brew they were trying. It had to be a fledgling... a newly blossomed witch with a starter base... Typhus drummed his chin humming. Such a potent base for a young soup... would mean they would be a powerful witch long term and if Typhus mentored him or her... "What is the soup like?"

"OH!" One shrieked as his hoard of nurglings had heard Nurgle praise the concoction, "Grandda says it hits right in the soul! Truly made with love! A perfect base that will lovingly cradle any plague! Grandda must find this witch! They hide from his blessings! I wonder if they are shy?" They all talked over each other leaving Typhus to wonder how to lure the witch out...

The wizened crone rubbed her chin as she was far more pus and pestilence than human at this point as she spat to the side onto a nurgling, "It has to be a fledgling doing this my lord... only one like that would offer so little, not out of being selfish but simply because of how little they have. Cauldrons like these take up so much room." Behind her was her brood of nurglings giggling & babbling as they worked around her cauldron for her as she talked to Typhus. Mortal helpers got ingredients ready passing them off to the bloated demons who giggled as they tossed them into the pot, "There are a couple of fledglings on this ship that I could think might be the ones you're after but their soups aren't even twenty years old... but if it is a fledgling they'll be feeding the masses and perfecting their craft. Though... I question if they are even trying." The crone says dismissively as a nurgling brings a ladle over for her to try and she sips her soup.

"What makes you say that?" Typhus inquires as he is not a Plague Witch and does not peer into the coven politics as why would he they simply have to make sure they give him their best.

"This mythical soup grandfather is looking for doesn't sound like it has any plagues in it. No one on your ship would dare try to make a soup like this without plagues. They might be simply dabbling in the techniques which has made something that infects the soul, a grand base if it exists, which would be wonderful for converting others to the cause. But, there are a few upstarts on other ships in the fleet... that I've heard grumbles and groans from of such young things competing with others whose cauldrons have been bubbling for centuries and millennia. But this is all I can theorize to help my lord." In the list that she gives to Typhus... your name is amongst them.

Your bells jingled as you carried your tiny portable cauldron now full of donated ingredients, used bones, scraps of meat, a few fungi, and other scavenged or bought items. Three tails behind you with bells tied to them via ribbons jangled behind you as you moved through the packed halls. You were excited as you got a small bit of pork as you had arrived when it had been freshly butchered. A small amount for you and the rest for your soup! So then everyone who ate what you cooked would be able to share even if they weren't as lucky as you.

You were almost home and you could maybe take a small nap before- you stop as you look down at the small hoard of nurglings just waiting in a pile outside of your door. You looked up at the many mouthed cultist with them giving you a haphazard grin at you, "I'm sorry miss they had heard about your soup..." You watch as one of them starts to lick your door, "They've been patiently waiting."

"I... I've got enough for them to share a bowl." You sigh softly but you can't help but smile at their antics... you suppose you didn't mind a late dinner. As you unlocked the door they were wonderfully well behaved as none of them rushed inside when you opened it and walked in just letting them watch you. Your own "cauldron" full of soup wasn't much larger than the portable one in your hands as you place it on your small counter. You pulled out your nicer wide rimmed bowl as it was for nurglings... "How paitently did you say they were waiting?" You ask as you grab your ladle.

"Very." The man said with a charming smile as your three tails whiped about behind you causing the bells on them to jingle as you walked over to the pot and gave them a large serving.

"Well I hope you all enjoy." You say putting the bowl down and then handed him a small cup full.

"Oh! Thank you." He says as you walk back into the room just barely hearing his mutter, "Divine Excrement... that's fucking amazing."

Moments like this you lived for... the way others eyes would light up as they would enjoy your cooking. It was always hard to refuse their request for seconds... just as you stood there as they all looked up at you holding the bowl politely asking for another bowl... "Ah ah ah fellas remember what she said. She could only spare us this amount and I'm certain she'll have more tomorrow?" He looked over at you and you nodded.

"Tomorrow I'll have a full cauldron and if you come early enough you can ask for seconds." That got the happy little creatures to cheer as you waved them off as you closed your door.

The cultist looked down at the nurgling with a large eye on its stomach as its iris was beloved grandfather's symbol... it was excited, bouncing all around as it was certain that this was it! The cultist pulled out a small device and radioed his lord, "Lord Typhus we found the witch."

You were tired as all you had left to do was enchant the soup and then you could finally enjoy your dinner. You rubbed your eye with the palm of your hand as the bells on your clothes and tails felt so heavy by this point but just a little bit longer. You thought to how you were close enough to be able to afford a proper cauldron and then you wouldn't have to limit yourself too much on how many people you could feed. Sure it would take up more of your already limited space but you knew it would be worth it! You were getting ready to enchant when you heard the door unlock... you looked worried as no one should be able to unlock your door even if they had good intentions. Your hand grabs the wood of the cleaver handle as not much of a fighter but you were going to try... why was there suddenly a buzzing noise and why was it so loud? The door opens and it gets even louder as you back yourself up into a corner as a Space Marine wedges themself into your door... and not just any Space Marine but the Herald of Nurgle himself... Typhus the Traveler... when his yellow eye lenses look right at you, you drop the clever out of fear and press against the wall.

He chuckle softly, "Well the blossoming Plague Witch that has been eluding Grandfather..." He looks around the room and right at your cauldron, "I can see why your offerings have been meager. Let me have a taste."

You swallow the lump of dread in your throat as you dare speak up, "It's not done yet.. my lord." You quickly tack on.

"Oh?" He said as he regarded you like a scared cat as you were pressed against the far wall, eyes wide with fear not daring to leave the threat in your sight, "When will it be?"

You swallow again, "Four minutes... I have to enchant it first." You hoped he would leave.

But you were not that lucky as he gestured to the cauldron, "Well do not let me keep you little witch. I might be patient but I do not possess Grandfather's long patience."

You inhale as you have to be a brave girl. You peel yourself away from the wall and stand in front of your bubbling cauldron, your back to Typhus. Your mind began to play its song as your head bobbed before your body started to sway as your bells began to jingle. The mouth on your lower back opened up as you sang with two mouths. Your movements were bouncy and at time violent as you focused on the words leaving your mouth and the way the bells rang with such pleasing chimes. You had forgotten Typhus was there watching you. You made your bounding way around your cauldron singing loudly as you were having fun, like you always did, putting your hands together as you crouched before jumping back up with a grin on your face.

Typhus watched as your hair bounced free from its ribbon holding it back. Your eyes glowing a bright green as you were lost in the ritual process as small jars of spices, herbs, and powders floated their way over to you. You took handfuls, pinches, and scoops as you added them in time with parts of the ritual where you weren't singing. The smile on your face wide as you sang louder and louder in a language unfamiliar to Typhus but that hardly mattered. Witches all had their own ways of enchanting and if a nonsense song was your way... he wouldn't question it.

You stop for a moment before violently spinning in place, your bells clamoring, as you sang in a high pitched voice... and Typhus could hear something respond in a voice that wasn't your own. You did this call and response three times. The climax of your enchantment approaches and you sing so loudly before your mouths howl in an otherworldly way. Your cauldron bubbling violently as you grab a handful of a spice blend from a pouch as you pause and chant out the last words before throwing it in. A cloud appears as it bubbles violently changing color from a dark brown to a yellow.

You deflate as you finish dancing. It was always so physically demanding to enchant your soup but it was worth it done this way... to see the happy faces of those eating your food! You turn around and yelp as you see Typhus in your doorway as you remember he was there watching you the whole time. You quickly grab your small portable cauldron and fill it, trying your best to not let any spill as you offer it to the Herald. He takes it and opens up the mouth plate and you avert your gaze as for Typhus he finally gets to taste this soup that Grandfather Nurgle has been pining after.

Typhus takes large gulps from the tiny thing you handed him... Oh! He can feel it worm its way right to his soul like some burrowing parasite! Yet it was like getting a warm embrace from a parent... or even a lover... that filled his limbs with a tingling warming happiness. Yet he could feel it also be akin to a gentle kiss from death... the sweetness of the lips leaving a mark on the skin and yet death fails to collect. He could feel his powers swell... his connection to Nurgle strengthen even! It washed over his SOUL and it was absolutely INVIGORATING and perhaps even a little ADDICTING like getting praise from Grandfather Nurgle.

"Fill it again." Typhus demands of you and of course you obey.

"Someone tend to her cauldron." You hear him bellow out as he pulls himself free of your door and you look confused. As another woman walks in and starts to tend to your soup. You put a lid on your small portable cauldron.

"Wait... what is going on." You say as you are led outside and other cultists lead you after the Herald of Nurgle. "Where am I being taken too." You ask fearfully.

Typhus decides to answer you, "To the Plague Cathedral upon the flagship, my ship. Grandfather demands a serving. And what better place to offer it to him."

You swallow as you follow him as those around you make sure you will be taken to the Cathedral.

You had only been here once before as the Cathedral on the flagship was more like a massive hive as unlike the giant fungi that grew around the church you went to... this was massive with so many insects around. You were led closer to the large ornate altar as it oozed honey as you could feel your shoes stick to the floor as well it went from floor to comb. Large insects of Nurgle skitter on the walls and ceiling as they watched and buzzed the closer you got.

"Come now little blossom." Typhus coos as you notice that the cultists with you stop at the last row of pews closest to the altar and yet Typhus gestures you to follow. The lump in your throat grows heavy as you say close to the herald as your new companions are a hoard of nurglings and the swarms that enter and leave from the large structures on his back.

"Open it up and leave it on the altar then come back right here." Typhus orders and you obey, putting it on the altar before you take the lid off and rush back to Typhus' side. You jump as the braziers suddenly blaze to life with sickly green flames.

You might not have been as connected to the warp as Typhus was but he could see a visage of his deity looking down, it was still a small offering but... it didn't matter as Nurgle finally had a taste of this soup that was eluding him just like the plague that made Ku'gath.

"Typhus! Have you tried this?" The voice said to him as you just flinched not understanding the loud voice filling the air around the alter and you wanted to hide behind the marine but you stayed.

"I have." He replies just looking up at the loud buzzing swarm that seems to gather. You try your best to not cower.

"Blessings! Blessings! How old is this soup?" The Grandfather inquired.

Typhus turned to you, "How long have you been tending to this?"

"Five years my lord."

"All of this in such a short amount of time! Blessings Typhus! Blessings! The garden will surely flourish with her delicious food!"

"Of Course Grandfather." He slammed his scythe into the comb keeping it standing as the destroyer hive buzzed loudly and you flinched.

"Blessings upon thee child! For the Grandfather has told me to bless thee! I come from the garden of plenty overflowing with milk and honey." He says just as if a sermon was being held. "And just as you will be embraced by the garden you two shall be a fountain of plenty... rejoice young witch!" The buzzing got louder and louder as the destroyer bugs all swarmed inside of him. The hand suddenly on your throat has you kicking your feet as they leave the ground as you are place on the altar and he once more removes his mouthplate. "Open up." His thumb rests on your chin and you obey... afraid of what will happen if you don't but equally scared of what will happen if you do.

As you open your mouth he opens his as you watch several destroyer bugs crawl out from his mouth as you can hear the faint noises from him as he... starts to regurgitate something. His shoulders move as his throat bobs and you are left helpless as to what is about to be placed into your mouth. You feel destroyer bugs landing on your face and on your body... antennae drumming against your skin. His mouth pushes to yours as something slowly crawls into your mouth... it's honey.

Your eyes open wide as destroyer hive honey was something that only champions of the Grandfather could have... but only in small amounts as too much would leave one into a mindless warp spawn. You eat the sweet sticky liquid as it just keeps oozing and oozing into your mouth before you... you start to convulse as Typhus pulls away running his tongue around your mouth just licking up the excess and wiping what oozed out onto his chin. Typhus enjoys the sickly sweet smell that permeates from you... or perhaps that is more of the hive's enjoyment as the smell he likes comes from between your legs but he could indulge in that later.

The sickening crack echoes as the side of your skull breaks apart as your hair solidifies into petals and a large, yet lightweight, flower has bloomed. A gift directly from the garden... Typhus lets his hands wander over your form letting his fingers press hard against your breasts and between your legs as you whimper feeling dazed and confused. Typhus decided that later was now as he bit the rough material between your legs and ground his teeth as it was shredded.

His tongue swipes up against your bared cunt as you whimper still confused as to what was going on... why your head was pounding... why there was so much buzzing in your ears... you're cunt quivers as you don't realize how the insects crawl over transformed flesh and lap up your nectar and brush against your pollen. Typhus in the meantime buzzes loudly himself as your honey is far more like nectar as well. His tongue pushing in hard and deep deep into your stigma like an insect pushing their labium deep down the style. His tongue pushed hard against the clitoris trying to get you to orgasm again... give him more nectar... Little Blossom give him more nectar!

You whine out as your nectar is swallowed up by Typhus for his hive to use... and he's not going to leave your flower wanting. He places his codpiece on the altar as Typhus grunts softly pushing the far too large cock inside of you. Your body relents as he buzzes out in enjoyment as he starts to cross pollinate you. Though if he were to go off of his allusion of earlier... this was the milk he had alluded to earlier. But his eyes were focused on the lovely flower on the side of your head... blood pooling in one of the combs on the altar as the pink petals had swirls of your hair in them... the rest was brain matter colored... bones... muscles... a beautiful human flower.

You look up at him still so very dazed but whimpering underneath the space marine as you wonder where you are... not realizing you're being fucked on the altar within the grand Cathedral. "Such a pretty little Blossom." Typhus grunts as he stills and rushes himself to completion as he will have more time to savor you later.

Typhus looks at you as he puts his codpiece on as cum oozes out of you as your flower is slowly closing up as you seem to be passing out. He picks you up and freed his scythe as it was now time to let you rest... for there was much for you to learn.

[sarcastictissy]

I have a lot of lovely asks and messages from people that I'm not able to respond to yet, but I just want to genuinely thank all of you for it ❤️ I was worried I was letting people down, but I'm so very thankful for everyone that reassured me otherwise. I will respond to you all. I'm not ignoring any of you, I promise.

Now onto something more serious. This is tagged as qsmp neg because I'm about to get really really angry with a certain part of this fandom.

Since Maxo unofficially confirmed qsmp is ending after the event, I've seen so many posts and reblogs along the lines of "the people upset because they had hope are in denial/ delusional/ crazy" or "the people thinking qsmp wasnt dead brought this upon themselves" which, basically, people are making fun of those who've had hope that the server will server. Now, don't get me wrong, we aren't exactly logical by having hope, and you're nit in the wrong for having a joke about people being "in denial" about the server closing.

That being said, the people blogging this only started doing it when Maxo unofficially confirmed its closure. So, technically there was still a small part of you that had hope, too, huh?

Not to mention, we are not in thr wrong for having hope or wanting to hold onto something that brought us so much joy, love, passion and creativity this past year. Leave us be. Let us be "in denial" or "delusional" or whatever you want to call us. It's fun over here. It's bright and positive and we all share the best memories of the past year. We don't WANT to look on the downside because it doesn't help us. It doesn't make sense to be consumed by all this negativity. It's very damaging to people's mental health if all they're seeing is "qsmp is dead" "quackity is cancelled" "all CCs hate qsmp" and other untrue statements.

As long as the fandom lives, qsmp lives. So why are you mocking us for seeing the qsmp in a positive and fun way? We're celebrating its life, not its death. This is a celebration, not a funeral.

I have had so many people message me, send asks, and tag me in posts to thank me for being positive about this situation even in the worst of times. And it's not that I'm saying "the admins are being mistreated? Oh well!" Because I'm not. What I'm doing and what I've done the past 3 or so months is remind people to take a breather, remind people to care for themselves and offer a place for them to vent to. I've shared my favourite moments of qsmp as a way to relive the best times whilst we go through the worst.

Can you not see that? Do you really think it's worth mocking me and others for?

If you genuinely believe I'm crazy or other insults because I see qsmp as a good thing, despite its faults, then please, unfollow me. Block me. Block the 'qsmp positivity' tag.

I will continue to spread hope about qsmp because I need it as much as others do. I owe myself to stay level headed and clear on qsmp because its done so much for me this past year. And so so many others see it the same way. I'm very grateful to be a place of positivity and safety during these trying times. I'm so thankful to everyone who has messaged me, sent me asks, followed me or even became my mutual because of this server.

I am so sorry for anyone that has been incredibly negative and doomposting excessively these past few months. It's very sad you felt the need to bring others down because you were sad too. But the there's a difference between being negative and actively ridiculing others for not being negative. And for those that have been doing the latter, stop. Stop trying to make us feel small for having hope for a server that has been our home for over a year.

If anyone feels like I'm being harsh, it's because I am.

[tenelkadjowrites]

i've been putting off making a formal announcement on this blog but i think i've reached a point where i can say the blog as everyone knows it is...done. the hiatus has turned into a retirement of sorts.

basically, going forward, there is no promise of any fics being posted, no more tag lists, no more icon/header changes for a hwa fic, etc. fics can be posted randomly and not just be focused on hwa, it'll be about whatever catches my attention and i want to write a fic on. this could mean months upon months with no update. it could mean i never update again. idk i am not really focusing on it.

so yeah, thats the short version. longer version under the cut.

the thing about running this blog is that over time it ended up being whatever idea i had needed to be tweaked in order to feel comfortable post it here. that could be trying to put smut scenes in, or thinking about the dynamic and how it would come across to an audience, or if i went too long without posting and it would weigh on me.

after my move to toronto, i hit burn out with the blog. i missed writing original works, and i missed the genre exploration i liked to do with original pieces such as horror. i dealt with a sort of nagging guilt if i didn't post on here for long periods of time and i felt like if i kept pushing against how my brain was going, the fics posted here would suffer in quality.

ppl who have read this far know that i don't pay attention to the amount of notes i get on my fics. i write the ideas because i want to write them. that's been my rule and once i got the sense i was writing for the blog and not writing cuz i wanted to, i realized i needed to step away from it.

so going forward, the only time this blog will be updated is if i got a story idea that naturally and organically was planned as a fic in my head. this could mean no more hwa fics ever again. it could mean fics about random video game characters. it could mean more star wars fics. or it could mean i don't update for a really long time. i don't know what form it will take. i'm not really focusing on that.

while this blog was my primary focus, i met a lot of amazing people and ended up meeting people that now mean so much to me. i had tons of nice messages sent to me. i never thought i'd get 3k followers here and that wasn't my goal, it just ended up happening.

if you read all this, thanks, and thank you to everyone who took the time to read anything i posted, it means a lot. i'll be at the toronto ateez show if anyone wants to say hi.

my main blog is @hologramhoneymoon - you can follow me there for a lot of random reblogs from a lot of random things.

[corruptionasart]

I followed for video game corruptions. Don't think I've seen much of those of late.

damn sorry i'll make sure you get a refund

Anyway i'm also gonna go ahead and lump this in here since it's related:

So I'll forgive people for either coming in late to the party or just not paying attention to how this blog has changed over the years but I've spoken several times in the past about how rom corruption over time has become really boring to me. That's why over the past few years I've posted less and less of it.

Back when I started doing this stuff and really committed to it back in like 2016-2018 it was great, I started this blog as an excuse to do more of it, playing retro games and breaking them was, and honestly still is a lot of fun. Unfortunately I made the mistake of running a queue which meant I needed things to fill that queue which meant I was essentially turning art into content, and over time that took its toll and I burnt out hard on it. There was a point where basically all my free time was spent on some aspect of running this blog, whether it was playing the games or going through recordings to make gifs or tagging posts etc.

Over the past couple weeks actually I've been going through all my old ShareX screenshot folders (btw i wholeheartedly endorse sharex it rules and i donate to its patreon) I've been collecting all the screenshots I've made of rom corruptions (somehow I hadn't done this before) and what I've noticed is exactly what I noticed all those years ago, it's kinda all the same.

You might disagree with that but again I've been seeing this stuff for like 8 years now and there's only so many times I feel like I could post something like that before it gets stale, the same goes with the gifs and videos. Again, I do enjoy making that stuff but I just feel like I personally feel like I need to make a change.

I'll get into the AI part of what I said this morning in a following post but I should be a bit more clear that the collage stuff I've been doing and anything else that I plan to do in the future isn't meant to be entirely about showcasing ai art or glorifying it, it's just another piece of the puzzle. I mostly made the post about ai stuff mostly because I wanted to see what the reaction would be in this community to that specifically. I wasn't expecting the "anything that isn't rom corruption is off-topic and shouldn't be posted on this blog" contingent. I may very well make another blog just about the ai stuff because I think there are things I could talk about with it with regard to pushing against the tide of garbage and making something new with it, idk yet.

THe last thing I want to say regarding rom corruptions specifically, though, is that it's interesting to me that despite the fact that I've posted the link to the corruption wiki multiple times now and people clearly do have an interest in this stuff that hardly anybody is out there posting this stuff either here or anywhere else online (at least outside of the Vinesauce community, which I feel goes for a very different vibe in what they do.)

The tools are out there, they haven't really changed all that much for years apart from being supported for more modern systems, and yet nobody's posting anything.

Maybe I should make another proper tutorial on my whole process, try to push harder to get people to make stuff.

Sorry if this response is kind of incoherent, I've been called away a lot in making this, I'll try to make the next few posts shorter

[danggirlronpa]

I have a question in regard to the whitewashing tw tag: do you think Aoi and the rest are...African-Asian? Because I always just thought they (apart from Angie of course) just had tans

Having tans is the canonical explanation from Aoi, Akane, and Sakura; Yasuhiro (doesn't have a talent that would reasonably require lots of exercise) and Angie (canon Polynesian) are the only characters who are technically canonically dark-skinned.

However. Danganronpa has a terrible colorism problem. And because dark-skinned characters rely on racist and colorist tropes, it seems obvious that they relied on the implication that the characters were blasian in order to communicate them. (We could also get into Gonta here, but since he isn't usually considered by fandom to be a dark-skinned character despite having a darker skintone, we'll set it aside for now. Just know the "dumb gentle giant" look isn't good.)

Firstly: Akane comes from a low-income area with gang violence and prostitution, with a lot of siblings, and is poor enough to not be able to afford a gymnastics uniform. She is portrayed as being unintelligent and caring only about food and fighting. In her crossover art, such as with Sanrio, she is alongside a monkey character (as is Yasuhiro). She has her boobs on constant display to indicate she is Sexy TM. This is a series of very blatant stereotypes about black people.

Sakura is constantly mistaken for a man and called "ogre." She is physically enormous, has bulging muscles, and is one of the only female characters to have a face that isn't condensable to "anime girl face" (primarily, she has a defined nose). Her talent involves beating the shit out of people. And one of her beta designs has her as a straight-up black woman with an afro. She suffers from the (once famous, though I don't know if tumblr still talks about this one) trope of a dark-skinned character with light-colored white person hair for seemingly no reason. This is another series of stereotypes.

Aoi is sexualized. She's constantly sexualized. Her big solo art is her in her underwear with her boobs smushed together. Toko/Syo bring up her boobs constantly. The only character on her level is Miu, who is a very different kind of sexualization; Miu is a character who expresses her sexuality herself, whereas Aoi is viewed as a sexual object by other characters and the audience. This is a very basic aspect of misogynoir - the black woman as a sexual object.

Whether or not these characters were intended to be blasian, these tropes applied to dark-skinned women conveys some very clear and disturbing implications. To make the characters not even canonically dark skinned is such a huge kick in the face - to convey all of these stereotypes and not even give the representation that goes along with them. It is an extra layer of cruelty.

So, yes: this blog agrees with the fandom-wide adoption of "they're dark-skinned." Really, the tag should be "colorism cw," but it has way too many posts for me to go back and change it now. You don't necessarily have to believe they're black; the characters could be Indian, or Polynesian, or any other number of nationalities. But they are dark-skinned, at least as far as I'm concerned.

[raayllum]

I’m sorry how is arc 2 not about aaravos? Everything about the show leads back to aaravos. The whole lore of the show is centered around aaravos. And it is absolutely titled the mystery of aaravos because it does plan on dealing with the mystery of aaravos in every possible way, and that has infact been confirmed by the showrunners on multiple instances. Aaravos is just as, if not more of a main character than rayllum in the ways that count because everything going on revolves around him. 

And since he’s an EXTREMELY important character, how is it not justified for fans of him to want more screen time of him? 

I’m sorry but not everything about the show revolves around rayllum and you shouldn’t call people out just for wanting to see more of their favorite character.

God forbid something about aaravos is actually about aaravos and not rayllum for once 💀💀

Actually I can and do call people out for wanting to see more of their favourite character when it causes them to be entitled / unfair to the broader story they want to tell. If you haven't been doing those things, then that post wasn't about you, but given the way you put your best foot forward here, I might go out on a limb and guess this might be behaviour you display sometimes, and it may be worth reconsidering.

As a bit of background:

My favourite character in a TV show was once a side character who was in 1/4 seasons, and one episode in the final season, and then he never showed up again. which was Okay, because he was a Side Character and it would've been pretty silly for the show to bend over backwards to include him more. Granted, there were opportunities (him and another character were travelling together, then she showed up at a Plot Relevant location without him and it was never addressed) but the show wasn't bad or wrong for not including more. I wasn't owed more screen time just because he was my favourite character, and while any character can Technically be Levelled Up for more screen time and plot relevance, sometimes characters are just there to serve more minor specific purposes, and that's Okay. It's all about adjusting your own expectations and not being an asshole.

Furthermore, given that I posted my personal opinion on my personal blog and only used my personal tags for it, you had two options for finding this post:

It got sent to you, presumably meaning you had someone else to be salty with in a private manner that would've been far more appropriate

You follow(ed) me, in which case you are more than encouraged to unfollow or block me if I have a post/opinion you find annoying or uncouth. Please do so rather than doing whatever This Is in my inbox in the future, it'll likely save you not only time but also embarrassment

The fact you thought going into the inbox of a Virtual Stranger and getting upset about me not thinking your favourite character is the Most Important Character in TDP Ever — because he isn't — in one (1) post is truly baffling to me in terms of 1) curating your internet experience and 2) interacting appropriately with strangers directly online. I've seen a lot of shit opinions in my day, and I vent in private to my fandom friends about it 99.9% of the time, thank you very much, or post about it in my personal tags on my own blog rather than making it someone else's problem.

In the nature of analysis / debate, though, let me clear what I meant considering 4+ people got their trousers in a twist about the idea that Aaravos isn't a main character.

That said, a few quick disclaimers: Aaravos is a very interesting character to me, and I like him a lot. I've written a fair bit about him in regards to how he's a thematic opposite to Harrow, his view of children, what I think happened to his chest piece, speculation on his banishment, his parallels to Finnegrin, his mythic connections to aspects of the Fae + Egyptian and Greek mythology, his foil relationship to Rayla, his characterization and motifs/symbols. So it's not as though I don't enjoy him or don't think he's important to the story. He is, he's just not a main character nor the most important. Moving on:

Secondly: it seems maybe my meaning of macguffin is getting misconstrued. A story Macguffin is a plot device that drives the story forward. Sometimes it's a character (R2D2 in star wars has to be transported from one dangerous location to safety because he has blue print plans), sometimes it's an object (the one ring, fetch quests, etc). Either way, the story is centralized around 1) characters competing for ownership or safe guarding of said person/thing and 2) through that competition or competing needs, the characterization of the main cast is revealed.

In Arc 1, Zym is the plot Macguffin. He overall has very little personality even once hatched beyond being sweet, occasionally helpful, and scared. He is the titular character, and his existence matters, but mostly because he serves as a motivational point for the characters. Claudia, Soren, and Viren want to stop Zym from getting back to Xadia; Rayla, Callum, and Ezran, want to help him get back.

Zym himself does not drive episodes forward. He rarely makes decisions that impact the main group. His existence or fears cause them to make decisions (they go looking for help because they dropped his egg; Rayla and Callum have to go after Nyx because she stole him) but he is not likewise making decisions for the group. S4 definitely levelled Zym up into him making 1) more independent decisions and 2) having more of his own interior feelings, particularly about his father, but Callum is the one who decides to send him up into the trees; Ezran is the one calling the meeting for Zym to come to Katolis. A couple of exceptions (he has a mini arc about his mom for 2 eps, he has an arc in s2 with Ezran) do not suddenly make Zym a "I'm making decisions that heavily push the plot forward every episode" kind of character.

You'll also note, if you actually read said post you're referencing, that I specified "'the mystery of aaravos' (esp these past two seasons)" and that I never mentioned lore, either, even if I have likewise written about lore extensively (one of my more recent metas on it was about 4.8k words on lore alone, for example).

Aaravos' plot impact was a lot heavier in S2 and particularly S3 than it is in S4 or S5, as he influenced Viren's decisions more heavily and eventually came into more direct conflict with the core protagonists. This is likewise reflected in Aaravos in S2 and S3 being in multiple episodes (half the season in s2, and almost every episode at least a little in s3).

Meanwhile in Arc 2, Aaravos could effectively, unknown to his pawns drop dead after giving Claudia her final instructions pre-S4, and nothing would be affected plot wise, because Arc 2 thus far has mostly been characters fearing his impending release (the main cast) or dealing with the fallout of his actions from S3 (the Sunfire elf plot line). The only thing we'd lose on that level from a "Claudia believes Aaravos is alive and is trying to free him, but he's not actually" is Callum and Rayla's possession plot line, ironically enough given your apparent dislike of them, until the very very end of 5x09 in which he tries to goad Viren into killing SS.

I'm excited for and expecting that to change in S6 and S7, but that doesn't change what S4 and S5 currently are, either. Same thing for Amaya and Janai more so being main characters, Janai in particular, in S4 and S5, but they were not main characters in the first three seasons. That doesn't mean they're not good, meaningful, and important characters for the story, but I'd be a very poor meta writer / have very poor media literacy if I tried to claim that Janai is a main character in arc 1 over say, Callum.

For another example: everything in Avatar: The Last Airbender revolves around Team Avatar wanting to stop Ozai, but Ozai is not a main character in the show. He's there to be a minor character, an endgame big bad, and to affect his children / embody the conflict the characters are up against. The fact that TDP has so many antagonists that are also Main Characters throughout the whole show (Viren, Claudia) is actually pretty rare in media, particularly for children.

The Legend of Zelda games usually revolve around Link wanting to save or free Zelda, and while certain games flesh her out and make her more developed into a main character, the central character of the narrative is Link, because he's the character we follow the most.

Additionally, the Importance of a character in a narrative has no bearing on whether they're your favourite, or even necessarily whether they're a 'good' / 'well written' character. Rayla, for example, is my personal #1 favourite character in TDP. She is a main character; she is not The main character. That's not an insult to Rayla; she's there to be a foil, one hell of a narrative lancer, and our main elven character. But I can't (nor do I want to) magically change her role in the story to claim that it's something it isn't.

The central main character of TDP is Callum. It always has been, it always will be.

He is the character who shows up in every single episode, he's our central mage character in a show all about magic, he has the most developed relationships out of everyone, he is the POV character we follow the most. That doesn't mean he's your favourite, that doesn't mean he has to be your preference, you don't even have to like him. But he is The Main Character. The majority of the story revolves around him and the people in his life. No amount of liking another character more is going to change that, whether you're clamouring for Rayla, Aaravos, Sol Regem or anyone else.

While there are shows where I think the side lining of characters feels off (Gus and Willow in The Owl House come to mind) that's mostly because 1) that sort of side lining usually happens to characters of colour, as it did there and 2) there's no real reason for the story to sideline them considering everyone lives in close proximity and there's a s1 emphasis that the main character has never had friends before and that she desperately wants some. Therefore, she should be thrilled to have best friends for the first time, but we barely see them. See the disconnect?

Aaravos is a minor character and big bad who is well utilized in the overall minimal screentime he has, especially thus far in S4 and S5. That doesn't mean he's not important to the story, and that doesn't mean he can't or shouldn't be your favourite, but your assertion doesn't miraculously make him our main core protagonist of the entire show, because 1) he's not our central pov character and 2) that's about the only requirement a main protagonist has to have, and 3) that's just not how stories work.

I also have no clue why you brought up Rayllum as a ship, given that I didn't mention them in my OG post at all, but given that you seem to think "this character isn't a main character" is a moral or value statement, I'll assume you said it to ruffle my feathers — that doesn't really work, given that I agree with you that not everything in the show is about Callum or Rayla individually or as a relationship, because it Isn't. Even if I hated them as characters or as a dynamic, however, that wouldn't change the fact that they're two of the core 3 characters (alongside Ezran) and that their relationship has the most screentime out of anyone in the show.

And if the show decided to tone down their screen time to give other characters more time, I'd be okay with that — because I don't need my Personal Favourite to be the most important character in the source material / screen time ever in order to feel secure in liking them, thanks.

[the-coolest-rat-grinder]

My friends are joining this Tumblr website...and even though it seems out of date, I guess there's no reason I wouldn't join them...so, without further ado, I am Ivy Embra of The Rat Grinders. I'm the best rat grinder, no matter what the others might say about me.

─────────ೋღ 🏹 ღೋ─────────

OOC section!

I was inspired to make this account by @quokkipetenjoyer and @oisin-hakinvar

I've never done any RP blogs before so this will be fun...uhhh...what else...NSFW jokes are cool, like dirty jokes and stuff, but just like...keep in mind that I'm a minor. Don't say super gross stuff.

I'm fine with playing into some head canons and stuff, I think it's fun, so feel free to send me head canons you might have or anything like that.

I'll tag any posts I make out of character with "#ooc"

I think that's all.

k, byeeee

[these-posts-arent-real]

Time to catch up on your favorite dashboard simulator :3

#gonna start scheduling these for 1 or 2 per day #i really enjoy making them but I think i'll get burnt out otherwise #also HUGE ty to whoever was the anon who sent me the idea #about having therian cats #ohhh my god #hey anon #(or anyone else but im talkin to u) #feel free to dm me to talk at any point you seem cool

15 notes

🔁 🐍xviper-the-fagx reblogged

🫎 mo0sedude Follow

I PASSED MY ASSESSMENT!!! AAAAAHHH

🪺 robbbinpaw Follow

OMSC CONGRATS MOOSE! I'm so happy for you!!!!

🐍 xviper-the-fagx

WOAAAHHH CONGRATULATIONS MOOOSEE!!! Have you had your name ceremony yet??

#im so happy for ya dude #moving on from apprenticeship </3 #gonna miss you in the 'apprentice things' tag

10 notes

🔁 🏞 trouttail-prefers-bass Follow reblogged

🏞 trouttail-prefers-bass Follow

Daily selfie !!!

Trying on some new berry-based fur dye.

🏞 trouttail-prefers-bass Follow

The amount of cats commenting "you'll never be a she-cat" and "wearing fur dye won't make you female" is astounding. Like. Thanks?? I'm a trans guy not a trans girl...

#lol?? #this is so funny to me #trans

4,703 notes

🥬 rxttencatmint Follow

Ahh.. different type of post than usual, but.. mmrrnn... I'm considering coming out to my mentor. I know he's supportive, but I'm really nervous, so, uh.. I'm gonna leave it up to a Clanblr poll haha..

#trans #transmasc #trans tom #transgender #trans apprentice #advice #poll

4 notes

🤍 snwtl Follow

* ,○ ' WELCOME TO MY BLOG ^. o° ;

adult female cat - 49 moons - gender critical

Keep reading

#terfsafe #radfem #adult female cat #terf #riverclan

0 notes

🔁 🥬 rxttencatmint reblogged

🍲 ex-thundrclan-kipper Follow

New neighbors have THE most annoying dog I've ever met in my life. Won't shut up about how that's her yard and to get back... nobody wants your yard Jackie, shut uppp...

🌻 l1llyst3m Follow

Since when do you speak dog????

🍲 ex-thundrclan-kipper Follow

I started picking it up when I moved to the twolegplace. I'm still not fluent, but I can hold a conversation with the neighborhood dogs if I want.

#every new thing i learn about kipper #just. wow #he is so coolll... #this is totally not the gender envy and parent issues speaking

2,851 notes

🔁 🌊 missingmyscales reblogged

🦊 foxx--hearted Follow

The worst part about being a fox therian is that even when I am partially accepted, it's usually because cats are telling me how horrible foxes are, and how I should've "picked a different species" because they think that's how it works.

🌊 missingmyscales Follow

Imagine being a fish. In RiverClan.

The closest I ever get to "acceptance" is my friends joking about how I would taste.

🦋 lalala-bluegaze Follow

How does it feel to have to eat the thing your damaged brain thinks you are. Lol

🌊 missingmyscales Follow

Frst off. "Damaged brain" like. Oookay guess we're just being really mean to others on Clanblr today. Second off ,I dont eat fish??? I never even implied that I eat fish.

🦋 lalala-bluegaze Follow

You're from RiverClan lmao. What else is there to eat

🌊 missingmyscales Follow

...

You are joking, right?

Lizards, birds, water voles and shrews, snakes, frogs, toads?? None of those come to mind when you consider the potential diet of a RiverClan warrior??????

🦊 foxx--hearted Follow

@missingmyscales you should probably just block @lalala-bluegaze, her whole blog is about being anti-kittypet, anti-therian, not believing enbies or bisexuals/any other lgbt identity than lesbian or gay or binary trans is valid, and a whole bunch of other stuff. It's not worth talking to her.

🌊 missingmyscales Follow

Ahh thanks... blocked her. I didnt think to check her blog beforehand

#sorry again for arguing on your post, Maple #saw a misconception ab RiverClan and blacked out lol

407 notes

🔁 🏞 trouttail-prefers-bass reblogged

🌾 barncat-vibes Follow

Good morning everyone <3 remember to eat breakfast and stay hydrated!

2,301 notes

🐍 xviper-the-fagx

Ithunk i atw a bug

#it difnr taste good euther :/

1 note

🌱 dirtdigger-23 Follow

So I guess I'm just on this site now?? Clanblr is gone. I can't access any of its posts. But. I can see "Tumblr". Which is weird. The posts are really strange here.

[lady-phasma]

It’s me again 💝

I’ve been in the Hotd fandom since the show first aired but got really into it once adult Aemond showed up . I’ve dabbled in a bunch of what I call creator content, fics , imagines even editing videos … I just don’t seem to find my people or I have people and they talk for awhile but then ghost . I try not to stress cause I get it we have lives and that shit comes first but it’s just idk sad when I try so hard and I’m lost in the crowd if you will. I’ve reached out to people via dm and I usually try to comment and give my opinion to get some interaction . Perhaps I’m making a bigger deal than I should . I would love to come off anon and dm but I just don’t wanna be judged and I say this even though I know people reading this will think pathetic . It is what it is

Hi 💝! Thank you for writing again! First, no negative self-talk on my blog. 😊 It's not a rule exactly, but I don't support it. Maybe you follow me, that's irrelevant, but I doubt that the demographic of my followers will think anything about this is pathetic. Outside of them, if they think that, they can block me and then we don't have to worry about their opinions, do we?

Now that's out of the way, don't worry about coming off anon. You don't have to or you can decide later. I answered another ask and said this and it bears repeating:

Feelings are valid, but they are not always truth.

Maybe it is a big deal to you at this point in your life. It has been to me at other times (not on Tumblr because I was on a near-10 year break from it). I don't like to give advice because I'm not in your shoes. I can only offer an ear to listen and my honest opinions.

Keep creating!! Whether it's in a fandom setting or not. I only write what I want to write. I only make gifs of what I want (or need for a fic). Make things when you feel inspiration or even if you don't. Drop your imagines in here if you want. Especially (but not limited to) excitement you have during the second season! There is going to be so much lovely chaos during the second season. We are all going to have thoughts!

As for your experience on your blog, follow more people, reblog with comments/discourse (if it's kind and not hurtful). And try not to compare yourself to others. I know it's difficult when notes on a post feel so damn good, but they aren't always immediate. And be yourself. I don't mean any of this as advice - it's just how I behave on here. Try not to try, just be.

I am so glad you've been in the fandom since the start! I stared my HotD experience on AO3 because I had been on there for years. Then a conversation in the comments in October 2022 got me on Tumblr for the first time since 2013/14. I'm so glad it did! There has been drama (I took a hiatus from Jan 2023 until March 2024) but there has been more joy and fun than that for me. I do that on purpose.

As I've said before, there were about 9 million viewers for the season 1 finale. That's a lot of people. More than I can imagine. So, if I were to offer advice it would be this: this time around for me I have been looking at the tags I follow more often than I used to. I look at posts that are like-minded: kind posts, funny posts that don't make fun of any part of the fandom, and posts about niche characters/elements. Then I look at that blog further, check out older posts to see if they have my same values (or close), and if so, I give them a follow. People don't always follow back, that's okay. But I get to see their positivity or inclusivity and that enriches my experience. The Nettles community is one of the best out here and I am so glad I get to be a part of it. We don't always agree but it's so fun to find a part of another aspect of the fandom. I throw my net wide because there are so many of us.

Lastly, like I said in a recent answer: what do you do to make others feel heard? Do you comment on posts when people express that they are lonely in a fandom? Do you give them a hug emoji or a "hey, I see you" kind of reaction? I do these things when I see those posts because what we put out comes back to us. Treat others how you want to be treated. That's not to say you haven't been doing this but if you haven't, maybe think about why - are you shy, judgmental, unsure how it will be received, or other motivations to keep scrolling?

I want everyone to have a great time in this or any fandom. This fandom in particular needs more positivity and inclusivity. I didn't get the nickname auntie for nothing. 💕 But it's never forced or fake. Come back to my inbox any time and as often as you like. We don't have to keep discussing this unless you want to! Is Aemond your favorite? Which episode do you dislike the most? Are you excited about something in particular for season 2? But there is no expectation or obligation.

[proshippers-against-censorship]

i honest to god think i look at ship discourse tags as a form of self harm. that shit makes me so irrationally angry. i give myself fucking headaches from rolling my eyes. i have no idea how so many people can think like this and not one of them realize how deranged they sound. it genuinely impacts my mood for the rest of the day

Literally the whole reason why I no longer search up 'proshipper' on here and just repost stuff from my following page when I'm not answering asks.

Willfully looking for intense drama is for days of good mental standing only.

I've found though, for days when you're really thirsting for drama but mentally can't stand it, it's really just best to have a drama blog to stalk that's a bit less intense, for one's own well-being.

[thecoffeelorian]

Unsung Heroes; Unspoken Lines: Issue #1

Good morning, all, and welcome to what I hope can become a new discussion group for all of the unsung heroes of "The Bad Batch", as well as the many plot directions that never quite made it to the small screen.

Some of you may have already seen me in the tags already, while others may have not. You might have also tuned in for one of my "Fandom Friday" posts, or perhaps haven't seen any yet. Nevertheless, I will type my thoughts to the best of my ability here, as well as triple-check every post before submission so that I don't come across as complaining solely for the sake of complaining.

Before we get started, though, let me just offer up a huge thank-you to everybody who took the time to respond to my request post, as I really didn't think this would go past 3 likes...yet here we are now with around 20 brave souls besides myself, so. You all have my gratitude for this, and again, I will do my best not to squander it.

Second, just a few rules to put out here: as this is meant to be an actual discussion, and not just some Instagrammy thing where you like this post and disappear...I really prefer the responses made with typing words, and not the ones made with pictures, so please answer accordingly.

Thirdly, if there's anyone out there who never wants to question so much as a single line that megacorporation-produced entertainment delivers to them, and also lowkey mocks anyone that does on their own blogs...please filter out the tag "tbb: deep dives" so that our extensive observations don't ruin your fun.

And so, now that I've set up the format and guidelines...without further adieu, let us go to our first subject of this series: The Lawquanes!

In the beginning, I believed that characters such as Cut and Suu would be the basis for an extended support network for the Batch, even if just through a secure comm or two. They could have served quite well in this regard, too, be it as two of several insiders warning them to steer clear of certain planets; helping answer as many parenting questions as they could; and more or less showing that nobody now having to look after a young person would be required to go it alone.

Furthermore, as there are such things as family friends and child-raising discussion groups in real life, and on a more general note, ZOOM calls…naturally, I didn’t expect anything different for the likes of Hunter, Echo, and the rest.

Except it…kind of was. Other than Shep Hazard’s few appearances in Season 2, once Cut and Suu took their kids and hit the skids…that was pretty much it for any and all outside help, for the family was never brought up again.

This, in turn, meant no secret chats between Shaeeah and Omega; no surprise stealth visits from Cut just to see how everybody was adjusting; no deliveries of hand-me-down clothing or toys for the squad to save their credits; and, frankly, in the absence of a support network, it started to feel like these company execs were suggesting that it’s much better for newly formed families to go it alone rather than even think about asking for help.

Add to this the idea of introducing characters from previous series solely to take them away not long after, and it amounts to a bad habit of isolating the title characters, if not also alienating those who might have otherwise created long-term relationships with them.

Granted, in the early stages of this series, there was the creeping evil of the Empire to worry about and early on, it wasn’t hesitating to crack down. That idea was 100% concrete, so far be it from me to question such things.

What wasn’t so concrete, however, was the need to keep on avoiding each other when one, most of the title cast were able to interact with Rex during all 3 seasons and had slim to no consequences; two, they could pretty much go anywhere as long as the galaxy thought them dead; and three, there was no further chatter about going after deserters. This created quite the opening for new faces to show up and stay there…yet again, not a word from the Lawquanes, who simply vanished into the ether and never returned.

So, if I may have the opportunity to ask, and if you all have the time to answer...it just might be time for our first Question Of The Week.

QOTW::

If more attention had been given to all four Lawquanes, what role(s) might they have had going forward, and would it have involved the Batch or not?

Please respond in the comments or reblogs to get the conversation going, and I hope to answer back as soon as possible. Thank you, have a good morning, and good luck.

No Pressure Tags: @theosb0rnway @megmca @brownielocks69 @alwaysflexfoampads @lucky-ducky006

@travellingnorthwards @moe-oh @depeachy @petrivbatig @sadiecoocoo

@maddyknight28 @traveller-of-word-and-screen @greyangelpain @tbnrpotato @lilithastar

@sillishit @techs-goggles9902 @amandamadeathing @number1morphfan @darthbecky726

[solradguy]

Could we possibly learn more about your D&D character(s)? :D

YEAH!!! Thanks for asking :D!! My group used to do one-shots every time someone in the group couldn't make it so I've had like 15 characters haha I'll tell you about the two I'm playing now and my all-time favorite character I've played.

We have a side campaign run by Raven that takes place in Strixhaven and we do this campaign when too many people are missing from our main one. My character for this campaign is a Leonin wizard named Gringdor Kethu (the R's in Gringdor are rolled). He was raised by a gay Dwarf couple and I wrote him to have the most wholesome backstory possible lol. They love him so much and support all of his hobbies and are paying for his way through college. Gringdor wants to study theology at Strixhaven.

Gringdor's personality at the start of the campaign was pretty stuffy and arrogant, but the dice had other plans about that!!!! He rolls bad on EVERYTHING. EVERY SINGLE THING. It's so funny. The first time we got into combat poor Gringdor whiffed like EVERY HIT and then we had a dance class where he tripped and knocked down a bunch of people. He's soooooo pathetic but he's very optimistic and he's trying his best!!!

I did our tokens for this campaign in watercolors and based them on the original UK covers for Harry Potter. Here's Gringdor's:

Our current main campaign is run by Nuns and is a homebrew scifi/fantasy mixture setting with space travel and cyberpunk elements. The party recently got consumed by Rylox, an elder deity, and isekai'd to a medieval fantasy setting. I'm playing Mirasaran Tokhubileh (Mira) in this setting. He's a half-Orc/half-Tiefling (he uses the half-Orc stats but looks mostly like a Tiefling) pact of the old one warlock and his patron, Nyarlathotep (Gnarly), turned out just to be a rather wimpy messenger of Rylox and the other elder deities.

The medieval setting the group is in right now is eternally night and the people there worship the Twin Suns, Sigma Yol and Serrenna, and recognized Mira's magic as being related to Rylox, who is basically the anti-christ to them. One of our party members, Zab, was created by the Twin Suns. Most of the party kind of has this "friends because they have to be" dynamic but Mira and Zab are actually pretty good friends despite their powers coming from totally opposite places haha. They've butted heads on it before, but Mira got his powers unwillingly and doesn't always want to do what Gnarly does (which is usually kill and eat innocent people lol). Mira's sort of getting into the idea of killing people though because he's fed up with being pushed around by other people.

I drew all our tokens for this campaign in a sort of 1980s anime inspired style. Here's Mira's:

and his ref sheet:

My ALL TIME dnd bae is the second character I ever made for dnd. My buddy Shottie and I tried doing a campaign with this guy named Wolf but everyone got busy with work n stuff so the group dissolved. I played a character named Daemedes (half-Orc paladin) for that and Shottie played Nekeesk, Dae's bff, who was a Kobold necromancer. Then we found a new group through Reddit and ran Curse of Strahd. I didn't want to have to manage spell slots n stuff so I made a Tiefling barbarian based on one I was playing in Neverwinter at the time, Steel Flexmeat, but I didn't want to ruin the vibe of the setting bringing his name over like that and I changed it to Stahl Flexicarnosus (a pseudonym).

I wanted Stahl to be an outgoing asshole jock-type character but our DM back then (not Nuns, our current DM) wanted us to do character voices and I was too shy to so Stahl became introverted. He was still kind of a bastard but instead of rubbing it into peoples' faces, he let his actions speak for him instead.

Our Curse of Stahd campaign was kinda rushed by our DM and I wasn't really satisfied with how it went so when we got our current DM, Nuns, I brought Stahl back for our Ravnica campaign. I talked to him about working Stahl's CoS lore in with Ravnica since Rav's got a bunch of planeswalking nonsense going on anyway. Stahl's lore ended up that when the CoS party went to kill Stahd, the magic they activated to permanently kill Strahd and stop him from resurrecting forever went sideways and Stahl got blasted to another dimension: Ravnica.

In Ravnica, Stahl ended up joining the Gruul Clans (Zhur Taa specifically; Gruul was like the Mad Max raider faction) and decided that he was going to summon Ilharg the Raze Boar in the hopes that causing a cataclysmic amount of damage to this plane might warp him either back to the CoS plane or even the plane he came from originally (CoS itself was a separate dimension Stahl had fallen into). Shottie brought Nekeesk back for this campaign too and we had some moments where I got to play Daemedes again. It was cool.

Stahl ended up joining with the party because he was chosen by the Gruul Clans to go to this super boring meeting that all of the guilds of Ravnica had been called to attend because he was like the "new guy" and a bit of an outcast. It turned out that Nicol Bolas was returning and was going to blow the whole place up. Stahl could not care less.

A bunch of crazy stuff went down and basically Stahl became the vessel of Ilharg a few weeks before the party had a showdown with Nicol Bolas. Stahl turned into a giant flaming boar monster and fought Bolas with the rest of the party on top of these floating islands in the sky. It was sikkkkkkkkk. We were SO CLOSE to party wiping. Ilharg's essence made Stahl want to burn and destroy everything around him so whenever it was my turn to attack, I also had to roll to make sure that Stahl stayed in control of himself and didn't start attacking the party. The rolls were insane. I had to beat like a 15 or something and rolled higher than that like 5 times in a row.

After the party killed Nicol Bolas, they all kind of scattered in different directions. Stahl still had Ilharg's essence in him so he went back to the Gruul wasteland so if he accidentally flaming boar god installed again, he'd only melt cacti and stuff until he calmed down again. This was like 3 years before I got into GG btw, which I think is hilarious. I was so close to accidentally reverse engineering Tiefling Sol Badguy hahaha

Anyway, I've drawn Stahl a LOT. Our DM uses this cute token pack so I drew our party's tokens based on it. Here's Stahls:

And his post-Ravnica reference sheet:

I've got entries on my Toyhouse for Mira and Stahl, but not Gringdor or most of the other characters I've played: